June 2015

The history man goes digital Accelerate Digital with Fujitsu

We live in a world increasingly characterised by time-shifted who manage our $2bn research and development portfolio viewing and listening and one where digital spectrum is infi nite. to our full scope IT services. One where digital is transforming how we communicate, watch, share, and listen whilst offering overwhelming choice through Fujitsu will be demonstrating its capabilities, including multi-channel, multi-device experiences. the transport of uncompressed video and transmission of broadcast quality video content over an IP network at its From hyper-personalised content to new channels and World Tour event at the end of June in London. collaborative platforms – media organisations seek to earn trust by putting the audience on center-stage. Find out more at uk.fujitsu.com Fujitsu can enable media organisations in their journey to digital, allowing them to respond to increasing demands from the business, customers and the market. Fujitsu modernises FUJITSU IN NUMBERS end-to-end business operations, by building new digital 750 km optical fibre backbone. 36,000 managed front-end experiences, and seamlessly connecting these to network devices. High speed networks for the world of the back-end systems and infrastructure. connectivity. 30 years of engineering experience. 24/7 Fujitsu can put you at the forefront of digital with the highest network operations centres. +1000 field engineers. levels of security and performance; supported through a +95,000 patents. wealth of experience which extends from our laboratories Journal of The Royal Television Society June 2015 l Volume 52/6

From the CEO I am very pleased to about. It was fascinating to hear two at the BFI Southbank on 5 June. The say that the May RTS very different perspectives on the winners and nominees are presented Futures event, “First election and its coverage. from page 24 onwards. Congratula- Dates – Falling in Love Paul Jackson is standing down as tions to every single one of them. with Ideas”, and our Chair of RTS Legends. I am so grateful And huge thanks to Stuart Murphy, RTS Legends lunch for the absolutely superb job Paul has our RTS Student Awards Chair. The featuring Jeremy done: the calibre and range of speakers highlights of the ceremony have gone ­Paxman and Alastair Stewart were he has persuaded to be interviewed at out on Sky Arts. both huge successes. these lunches has been extraordinary. As Creative Skillset recently Great ideas are the lifeblood of tele- Thanks, too, to Clive Jones, who reminded us, gaining a foothold in TV is vision. At “First Dates” (see page 21) the co-produced the May lunch with Paul. often challenging. With luck, those who audience heard from some of TV’s top I was thrilled to attend the RTS Scot- triumphed at the student awards will creative thinkers on how to turn ideas land Awards, on 20 May, at the Oran have a head start as they consider their into must-watch shows. Sincere Mor in Glasgow, where we recognised options beyond full-time education. thanks to all those who took part. the best of Scottish television. STV Our two heavyweight anchormen Deputy Director of Channels Elizabeth were expertly put through their paces Partyka was a deserving recipient of by Steve Hewlett at the Legends lunch the RTS Scotland Award (details on (see page 14). This sold-out event was page 33). seriously entertaining. The journalists Finally, I’d like to highlight the 20th who attended had plenty to write RTS Student Television Awards, held Theresa Wise Contents Peter Bazalgette’s TV Diary Head to head Peter Bazalgette praises television’s election coverage TV heavyweights Jeremy Paxman and Alastair Stewart 5 and recommends some serious rethinking on the BBC 14 lock horns, with conflicting takes on TV’s election licence fee coverage. Steve Clarke has a ringside seat

Action man makes history online Local-TV: here to stay Dan Snow was a late convert to YouTube. He explains to Ignore the premature epitaphs, argues Torin Douglas. 6 Pippa Shawley how he is building an online empire 18 Jeremy Hunt’s vision for a new generation of small TV stations refuses to be buried From pipes to poetry Josh Sapan transformed AMC Networks by backing shows Our Friend in the West 8 such as Mad Men and extending its channels business With a new government in London, the future of the beyond the US. Stuart Kemp profiles a deal-maker like 20 Welsh-language service, S4C, is again under scrutiny, no other says Huw Jones

A change is gonna come Half an hour to create a hit How will the SNP’s new presence at Westminster affect Matthew Bell reports from an RTS Futures event that 10 UK broadcasting? Maggie Brown foresees seismic events 21 offered tips on how to turn ideas into great television The format king RTS Student Television Awards Anne McElvoy turns the spotlight on Stephen Lambert, The winners, in 16 categories, were announced at a 12 whose reality formats, such as Wife Swap and Gogglebox, 24 ceremony, hosted by comedian Romesh Ranganathan, have changed television on 5 June at the BFI Southbank

Cover picture: BBC

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Television www.rts.org.uk June 2015 3 Your guide to upcoming national and RTS NEWS regional events

Chair: Tony Hall, Director-General, REPUBLIC OF IRELAND National events BBC. Early-bird registration Local events ■ Charles Byrne (353) 87251 3092 discount until 30 June ■ [email protected] RTS EARLY EVENING EVENT Venue: West Road Concert Hall, BRISTOL Monday 22 June Cambridge CB3 9DP and King’s Tuesday 14 July SCOTLAND Diversity: job done? College, Cambridge CB2 1ST AGM ■ James Wilson 07899 761167 Panellists: ■ Book online at www.rts.org.uk Venue: TBC ■ james.wilson@ Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson ■ Belinda Biggam cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk DBE; Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, RTS EARLY EVENING EVENT ■ [email protected] Act for Change; Lucy Lumsden, Monday 28 September SOUTHERN Head of Comedy, Sky; Tunde In conversation with Mike DEVON & CORNWALL ■ Gordon Cooper Ogungbesan, Head of Diversity, Darcey, Chief Executive ■ Contact TBC ■ [email protected] Inclusion and Succession, BBC; Officer, News UK Ade Rawcliffe, Creative Diversity 6:30pm for 6:45pm EAST ANGLIA THAMES VALLEY Manager, Channel 4. Chair: Afua Venue: The Hospital Club, ■ Contact TBC Wednesday 8 July Hirsch, Social Affairs and Educa- 24 Endell Street, London Summer BBQ – Drone fest tion Editor, Sky News. WC2H 9HQ LONDON Tickets for this event are £13 for Exclusive results of an industry ■ Booking opening soon Tuesday 23 June members, £16 for non-members survey by The TV Collective Pinewood Studios tour and £8 for under-16’s. This will be revealed on the night. JOINT PUBLIC LECTURE Hosted by Pinewood TV Studios. includes a BBQ supper. 6:45pm for 7:00pm start Wednesday 4 November The studios are a short taxi ride 6:30pm-8:30pm approx Venue: One Great George Street, Joint RTS/IET public lecture from Slough/Uxbridge stations. Venue: Pincents Manor, Calcot, London SW1P 3AA with Demis Hassabis 6:30pm Reading RG31 4UQ ■ Book online at www.rts.org.uk Demis Hassabis is founder of Venue: Pinewood Studios, Iver ■ Penny Westlake Deep Mind and an artificial Heath SL0 0NH ■ [email protected] RTS FUTURES intelligence researcher, neuro- ■ Daniel Cherowbrier Thursday 16 July scientist and computer game ■ [email protected] Summer party designer. 6:30pm for 6:45pm Organised jointly by RTS Futures Venue: British Museum, Great MIDLANDS and Guardian Edinburgh Inter- Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG ■ Jayne Greene 07792 776585 national Television Festival ■ Booking opening soon ■ [email protected] Talent Schemes. 6:30pm Venue: Design Museum, 28 Shad RTS MASTERCLASSES NORTH EAST & THE BORDER Thames, London SE1 2YD Tuesday 10 November Tuesday 16 June WALES ■ Book online at www.rts.org.uk RTS Student Programme Filming with drones Thursday 18 June Masterclasses A masterclass covering the AGM RTS CONVENTION Venue: BFI Southbank, London use of drones in film and 7:00pm 16-18 September SE1 8XT television, led by Mark Batey Venue: Cameo Club, 3&5 Pont­ RTS Cambridge Convention 2015 ■ Booking opening soon (BBC Academy) and Horizon canna Street, Cardiff CF11 9HQ Speakers include: David Abraham, AP (aerial filming specialist). Tuesday 4 August CEO, Channel 4; Philippe Dauman, RTS MASTERCLASSES Weather permitting, there will Eisteddfod: TV and broadband President and CEO, Viacom; Wednesday 11 November be live flying. Registration via in rural areas Tim Davie, CEO, BBC Worldwide RTS Craft Skills Masterclasses Eventbrite is essential. 7:00pm Welsh-language event at the and Director, Global; Lorraine Venue: BFI Southbank, London Venue: Royal Grammar School, National Eisteddfod Heggessey; Jay Hunt, Chief SE1 8XT Newcastle NE2 4DX Venue: S4C Pavilion, National Creative Officer, Channel 4; ■ Booking opening soon ■ Jill Graham Eisteddfod of Wales, Meifod, Michael Lombardo, President ■ [email protected] Mid Wales of Programming, HBO; James RTS AWARDS ■ Hywel Wiliam 07980 007841 Purnell, Director, Strategy and Monday 30 November 2015 NORTH WEST ■ [email protected] Digital, BBC; Josh Sapan, President RTS Craft & Design Awards ■ Rachel Pinkney 07966 230639 and CEO, AMC Networks; Sir 2014-2015 ■ [email protected] YORKSHIRE Howard Stringer; Sharon White, The closing date for awards Friday 19 June Chief Executive, Ofcom; The Rt entries is Tuesday 1 September NORTHERN IRELAND Annual Awards Hon John Whittingdale OBE MP, Venue: The London Hilton, Park ■ John Mitchell Venue: Royal Armories, Leeds Secretary of State for Culture, Lane, London W1K 1BE ■ mitch.mvbroadcast@ LS10 1LT Media and Sport; and David btinternet.com ■ Lisa Holdsworth 07790 145280 Zaslav, President and CEO, ■ lisa@allonewordproductions. Discovery Communications. co.uk

4 June 2015 www.rts.org.uk Television TV diary

Peter Bazalgette praises television’s election coverage and recommends some serious rethinking on the BBC licence fee

pparently, I’ve not to adopt policies to double the size of the most important challenges? contributed a diary of the fast-growing creative sector. To recruit new drama writers from since 2010. Perhaps Super-fast broadband, better arts every background and community. I only get invited in education, backing the BBC as a Television drama – from the soaps election years. In ­beneficial market intervention… all to the BBC’s Shakespeare productions May 2010, I was also eminently possible (further disclo- – are the most vivid manifestation asked to review the sure: I was one of a group of arts/ of our different cultures and our different channels’ election coverage media folk who helped start CIF). national conversation. byA The Guardian. Good that ITV has Original Voices On that occasion, I called it deci- ■ Talking of the BBC (and, let’s be hon- to bring fresh talent into its soaps. sively for Sky News. ITN was fine but est, we teletubbies talk about little else), And encouraging that the BBC has less dramatic. And the BBC, with its when you strip away all the excitement its Writersroom seeking out BAME ship-of-fools party and an over-­ generated in right-wing newspapers, (black, Asian and minority ethnic) academic Vernon Bogdanor and a only two real issues remain around entrants to our industry. swingometer that couldn’t cope with Charter renewal. And neither of them We should also be putting more a three-way race and, and, and... concerns whether the Charter will be resources into the likes of the National This time, I felt it was a dead heat. renewed. That is a given. Film and Television School and The The BBC was extraordinarily better, The first is the level the licence fee London Film School to help them ITV benefited from the considerable gets set at. The second is what its new identify the widest possible field of talents of Tom Bradby and Sky con- regulation will look like. creative talent (double disclosure: I’m tinued its excellent, Bloomberg-style Rona Fairhead has said that the on the ITV Board and was a member blitzkrieg of statistics. Trust’s days are numbered (though of the NFTS’s). All, of course, profited from their not in her RTS interview – I blame joint exit poll, which was dramatic the host of the event). This is, clearly, ■ Abroad for a week, I notice a piece and accurate, and they had the guts to a choice between Ofcom and Ofbeeb. about an Ofcom report in my Kindle go with it (full disclosure: I was on the The former doesn’t really want it edition of the FT. Apparently, 70% of ship of fools… but not for long). but the latter seems overcomplicated. five- to 15-year-olds have access to Whichever emerges, it could be a tablet and one in 10 toddlers has ■ To the second board meeting of charged with producing a “white their own. the Creative Industries Federation, paper” within two years, proposing We know that, with the exception as an observer. Around the table are the right funding mechanism for the of live programming, the under-25s a movie mogul, a leading publisher, next time around. are increasingly schedule avoiders. But chairs of arts institutions, the BBC Though we’ve said this for some how will this new, mobile-addicted Director-General and a design guru, time, surely the licence fee will need generation consume our shows as they among others. to be rethought. So let’s do the think- grow up? They’ll still love our stuff, but It’s very exciting that this new ing (another disclosure: I was the one when and where they want it. organisation, intended as a CBI for interviewing Rona). Welcome to the VoD world, my the creative industries, is now up friends (final disclosure: I’m typing and running. ■ To their credit, television organi- this on an iPad). I’m not sure whether observers are sations are trying hard to respond to allowed to have opinions, but I suggest Lenny Henry’s impassioned prov- Sir Peter Bazalgette is President of the we should urge the new Government ocation about our diversity. One RTS and Chair of Arts Council England.

Television www.rts.org.uk June 2015 5 Action man makes history online

’d rather have internet than The idea was that Dan was the same running water,” declares Dan Interview age as the soldiers, while Peter was little Snow, broadcaster, historian and older than the generals of the Second self-confessed digital obsessive. World War battle – “I just got incredi- Not content with making history Dan Snow was bly lucky; I’m the first to admit it.” programmes for broadcasters on a late convert to He says he “owes everything” to his subjects as diverse as China’s Terracot- parents, “not just for the broadcasting ‘taI Army and the D-Day landings, Snow YouTube. He explains experience, but because they gave me is now building an online empire. His my love of history and they gave me new tools are apps, YouTube videos, to Pippa Shawley my love of communication, language Facebook, Twitter (where he has a how he is building and interrogating the past to find out whopping 100,000 followers) and, most what’s going on in the future.” recently, Periscope, the Twitter-owned an online empire Instead of embarking on a PhD as live video app. planned, Snow launched his TV career, Snow becomes animated when videos featured the kids presenting following the El Alamein programme discussing Periscope, which he has pieces to camera about their holiday with series such as 20th Century Battle- used recently to share his journey destinations. fields and Filthy Cities, both for the BBC. across the English Channel as part of Snow recalls: “My dad loved home Today, Snow is known for his BBC the 75th anniversary of the Dunkirk videos; he loved editing them, and factual programmes, including his evacuation. made great efforts, poor guy. In that latest BBC Two series, Armada: 12 Days “You get an immediate reaction, you era, God knows how he did it.” To Save England, history dispatches on get an interesting buzz,” he gushes. It was thanks to his dad that Snow The One Show and, more recently, as It’s not surprising that Snow is so got his first big break in television. A part of the BBC’s live events team, enthusiastic. Born to the Canadian producer spotted him taking part in broadcasting ceremonies such as the broadcaster Ann MacMillan, who was Oxbridge’s Boat Race and, aware of his 70th anniversary of VE Day and Troop- CBC’s London correspondent for many heritage, offered Snow junior and senior ing the Colour. years, and former Newsnight presenter a television series together. Snow’s passion for history is matched Peter Snow, he grew up immersed in After declining the initial offer, they only by his enthusiasm for digital visual storytelling. agreed to present a BBC programme in media. With his production company, The Snow children were trained in 2002 commemorating the 60th anni- Ballista, Snow has created a series of reporting from a young age. Home versary of El Alamein. history apps for institutions such as The

6 ing the show a hit as the archaeology. on the ground floor with YouTube, he’s “I think sometimes that commis- quickly gathering a reputation for pro- sioners and TV execs are a bit embar- ducing engaging and exciting live rassed about admitting that you want reports on Periscope. stunning visuals,” says Snow. “But TV “Periscope is for people who are should be a celebration of the visual as confident doing live content in inter- well as the story from our past.” esting places, and that is me,” he says. He cites 2014’s Operation Grand Can- Snow has grand plans for Periscop- yon, where he followed the journey of ing a journey across Libya’s Second little-known explorer John Wesley World War sites “as soon as it gets safe” Powell, as a programme in which the but, for now, uses the app in down visuals drove the storytelling. time during filming for other things. “No one had heard of him in Amer- A recent video from an empty West- ica, let alone in Britain, and that was, minster Abbey, uploaded to his Face- allegedly, the reason that we went. But book page but originally shared on the reason that it did well and that Periscope, accrued over 30,000 views, people liked it was because it looked and was captured shortly before Snow unbelievable,” argues Snow. “It was a went live for the BBC’s coverage of the landscape people recognised but 70th anniversary of VE Day. wanted to know more about.” “I hope the BBC doesn’t mind me The pictorial nature of television means that some periods of history get less airtime than others. The Anglo-Saxons, for example, are TV SHOULD BE an important part of British history. A CELEBRATION Arguably, they have been under-­ represented in factual television, as OF THE VISUAL they did not leave the kind of tangible legacy that other cultures, such as the AS WELL AS THE Romans and the Normans, did. STORY FROM “I’m a big believer in the idea that, if Armada: 12 Days To Save England you turn on a TV, it should look inter- OUR PAST esting,” says Snow. “And the fact is, an Tank Museum and the National Mari- Iron Age field system looks less inter- quietly just scooping all of this,” he time Museum, in addition to Ballista’s esting than the temple at Karnak, even jokes. While Snow hopes, eventually, own Timeline series, which includes the to archaeologists.” to monetise his online efforts, he rec- award-winning Timeline WW2. This, inevitably, leads some to argue ognises that he needs to grow his 3,000 “I said in The Guardian a couple of that history on television is slightly Periscope followers by another 47,000 years ago – and I was absolutely superficial, as Snow readily admits: “If or so before brands become interested ripped to shreds – that apps are better you want to engage in incredibly schol- in sponsoring his activities. than books, which is so obviously true arly debate and analysis, then maybe “It feels like I’m one or two steps because an app is a book… but pictures TV isn’t quite the right place for you.” away from creating something really and video and maps are added in to it, While Snow clearly enjoys making interesting and something that’s so it’s like a book with more stuff in it,” these high-quality documentaries, as self-sustaining,” he suggests. Snow insists. well as the short segments for The One On the rare occasions that Snow isn’t Using digital media to tell a story is Show that see him dipping into a huge working, he can be found enjoying the much more flexible for teaching his- range of historical periods and events, great outdoors or reading – either his- tory than using linear television alone, it is online where he now wants to tory books or to his two young children. says Snow: “With linear TV, I think make his mark. Recently, he’s been reading Greek you’ve got to concentrate on the thing “Unfortunately,” he confesses, “I myths with his three-year-old daugh- it does really well, which is seriously came really late to the game on You- ter, Zia: “I do a lot of reading with the beautiful, high-end production values.” Tube. We were just dumping offcuts kids – it’s all I know how to do.” He’s currently working on a of stuff that we were filming for other He adds: “I think it’s really important ­90-minute special about the Vikings linear shows, and we’d go a year with- to get away from screens, and I’m not a for BBC One with space archaeologist out putting anything on it.” complete nutcase like I sound.” Sarah Parcak, who co-presented Rome’s Snow is making a concerted effort And what of those early show reels Lost Empire with him. The special will to build up his YouTube channel, Dan’s from the Snow family archives – will track the Vikings through Iceland, History Hit, with short, snappy clips, but they ever see the light of day? “My Greenland and Canada, where satellite he is also planning to stream a live mum and I looked at one the other day archaeology will be used potentially to debate with a group of leading histori- and we thought it would be fun to share discover new Viking sites further west ans addressing big questions, such as: if a programme-maker asked me for it. than those previously found. “Why did the Allies win the Second “But, actually… I’d rather not advertise The spectacular landscapes of Iceland World War?”. that I was a little, know-it-all twat when and Newfoundland are as vital to mak- While he may have failed to get in I was 12.”

Television www.rts.org.uk June 2015 7 Profile Josh Sapan transformed AMC Networks by backing shows such as Mad Men and extending its channels business beyond the US. Stuart Kemp profiles a deal-maker like no other

From pipes to poetry

MC Networks Presi- and movies, as well as myriad prizes for The Cable Center’s Hall of Fame and dent and CEO Josh his contribution to the cable industry Broadcasting & Cable’s Hall of Fame. He Sapan lays claim to – including the prestigious Paley Prize has also received The Media Institute’s having the world’s for Innovation and Excellence. Freedom of Speech Award in recogni- largest collection of From his New York City base, one he tion of his contribution to the advance- antique lightning rods. describes as “looking like a junk shop”, ment and protection of free speech. “They’reA architectural and a form of Sapan runs a burgeoning portfolio of The bespectacled executive is cred- industrial art. I just got captivated by entertainment brands. These include ited with building some of television’s them,” he explains. US cable television networks AMC, IFC, most influential entertainment brands One or two of them can be found SundanceTV, WE tv and BBC America and shows over the past decade, a lying around his office on Penn Plaza, (a joint venture with BBC Worldwide period widely seen as a new golden a few blocks from the Empire State that was acquired in late 2014). age for television. Think AMC’s The Building, alongside examples of His purview at the Nasdaq-listed Walking Dead, Mad Men and Breaking Bad another passion. This is his collection cable empire, with its 2,000-plus staff, and SundanceTV’s Rectify and The Hon- of panoramic photographs of people also encompasses feature-film labels ourable Woman, the latter co-funded by and places from the last century. IFC Films and Sundance Selects, and the BBC. Gathered by Sapan over 30 years the group’s international programming Sapan has also pioneered same-day or so, the pictures have recently been and distribution division, AMC Networks theatrical and video-on-demand collated into a coffee-table book titled International. releases for independent films. His film The Big Picture: America in Panorama. Sapan, a published poet (yep, those credits include IFC Films’s Boyhood And then there is another growing of a less driven disposition should stop (winner of a Golden Globe Award for collection: Sapan’s awards for hit shows reading now) has been inducted into Best Motion Picture – Drama), the

8 Oscar-nominated documentary Finding President Bob Broussard and James being ironed out, the move reveals the Vivian Maier, Sundance Selects’s Two Days, Gallagher, Executive Vice-President and pace at which Sapan demands his One Night (also Oscar-nominated) and General Counsel across the portfolio. businesses evolve. IFC Midnight’s genre hit The Babadook. The quartet boasts a combined “[AMC] shows in the future in the US And the world’s most successful experience of more than 40 years will go to Hulu,” Sapan says. “We found lightning-rod collector also enjoys hav- at the cable coalface. we had great sympathy with Hulu as a ing a laugh. He turned IFC into a home “We [the executive board] speak potential partner. It had just about for original comedies and comedic the same language and, because of the doubled its subscriber base in a short talent including Portlandia – winner of period of time. It was really stepping Emmy, Peabody and Writers Guild of up and improving what it was doing, America nods – and projects from Will and we were able to create an alliance Ferrell (The Spoils of Babylon and The Spoils with it that we found very satisfying.” Before Dying) and Denis Leary (Maron). Sapan describes Netflix, which will While the obvious metaphor would remain the home for all current AMC be that of a legendary impresario with shows, as an “interesting and accom- a thaumaturgic ability to capture light- plished commissioner of TV shows” ning in a bottle, the reality is more and one that “helped establish sub- prosaic. Sapan’s willingness to invest scription video-on-demand as a form in content and talent is, however, of consumption”. almost as rare as authentic wizards in a In 2014, Sapan oversaw the acquisi- risk-averse economy. This is especially tion of Chellomedia, the international true for a listed company with a mar- channels unit of John Malone’s US and ket capitalisation of $5.6bn shackled, European cable giant, Liberty Global, as it is, with Wall Street expectations for approximately $1bn. It was a move The Walking Dead

about future growth and returns. Channel 5 that gave AMC Networks a foothold in It helps that AMC Networks’ biggest more than 390 million homes in 138 voting shareholders, Chuck (Charles) IT IS VERY countries. But of all the deals, it is the and Jim Dolan, two of the biggest one struck late last year with BBC media entrepreneurs in the US, pro- IMPORTANT TO Worldwide for a 49.9% stake in BBC

David Buchan/Getty Images Buchan/Getty David vide support for Sapan and his board. BE NIMBLE… America that makes him smile. They are prepared to take a punt on Sapan unabashedly declares the BBC content that would give more conserv- THE WORLD IS to be one of the world’s finest – if not ative investors the fear. MOVING MORE the finest – content creators across “The Dolans are well known for being drama, comedy, factual and news. So, successful risk takers,” Sapan says. He QUICKLY THAN “to be more proximate to it was vital”. adds that a lot of AMC’s success comes EVER BEFORE He categorises the relationship with down to invention and innovation, and the BBC as making AMC “better trying things out before its competitors. dressed”. The BBC shares a vision with As an example, he cites the compa- length of tenure together, we have AMC, he says, of the “improving nature ny’s decision to back Mad Men, Breaking developed a shorthand of sorts that of television”. Bad and The Walking Dead at a time enables us to move quickly and take AMC executives signed the BBC deal when the marketplace considered the decisions,” Sapan notes. “It is very after visiting London with the Dolans, projects to be inappropriate, “expensive important to be nimble and be able to where they met Director-General Tony original programming, budget-wise, move on decisions, because the world Hall, BBC Worldwide CEO Tim Davie for basic cable”. is moving more quickly than ever and Director of Television Danny Cohen. The gamble paid off in terms of the before.” “To put a more personal slant on it, shows’ international critical and cul- The speed and efficiency with which culturally, the BBC people in London tural impact. Their success, says Sapan, he and his board can make deals counts and in the US are certainly among my emphasises producers’ willingness to for a lot with Sapan. AMC Networks has favourite people to work with,” insists invest in quality – and audiences’ struck an exclusive content supply deal Sapan. demand for high-quality fare. with Hulu, the US online VoD operator And just before the poet-collector, Named CEO in 1995, Sapan led that is battling Netflix for subscribers. photography lover and visionary TV AMC’s successful spin-off from Cable- The agreement to sell some future executive signs off, he notes that vision Systems Corporation in June shows only to Hulu is a bold move for “there’s not a whole lot of competition” 2011, when AMC Networks began trad- Sapan, given that Netflix has a deal in when it comes to amassing the world’s ing on Nasdaq. place to take many current AMC Net- biggest lightning-rod collection. He is part of a well-established and works shows, such as The Walking Dead, tight-knit management structure at Mad Men, Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. Josh Sapan, President and CEO of AMC AMC Networks that includes COO While the specific future content Networks, is speaking at the RTS Cam- Ed Carroll, AMC Networks Distribution that will flow to Hulu in the US is still bridge Convention, 16-18 September.

Television www.rts.org.uk June 2015 9 Scotland How will the SNP’s new presence at Westminster affect UK broadcasting? Maggie Brown foresees seismic events

ith Team 56 – as SNP MPs call themselves – forming the third-largest party in Parliament,W the impact on broadcasting in the UK is likely to be profound. And the effects are certain to spread beyond the BBC Charter debate. The economist Jeremy Peat, a former BBC Scotland Governor and Trustee, observes that the general election outcome “represents a massive vote for change”, requiring “not sticking plaster, but fundamental change”. He adds: “We are miles away from a stable SNP Westminster MPs with party leader Nicola Sturgeon equilibrium.” John McVay, Chief Executive of Pact, warns: “The SNP doesn’t give up, it has become the single most effective force in British politics. It is democracy, but it is a monoculture. “How much of the licence fee is spent in Scotland is central. The main issue is the BBC.” A Change He points specifically to the SNP’s manifesto demand for an extra £100m of BBC funds to be spent in Scotland each year. The money would help to is gonna expand Scotland’s creative sector, according to the nationalists. On 21 May, the SNP MPs selected the former BBC broadcaster John Nicolson (MP for East Dunbartonshire) as their come culture, media and sport spokesperson from a strong band of eight former lishing its so-called “green paper” on and, unlike the “referendum paranoia”, PRs, journalists and producers in the Charter renewal. Ofcom’s scene-setting not many questioned the objectivity of parliamentary party’s ranks. public service broadcasting review is the TV coverage. These include independent producer now due later this summer. However, the SNP believes in deliv- Brendan O’Hara (Argyll and Bute) and This pause is evident in Scotland, ering manifesto pledges. So, just a one-time STV and GMTV producer too. Opinion formers point out that the week after the election, Holyrood’s Hannah Bardell (Livingston). The latter harsh criticism of BBC Scotland before Devolution (Further Powers) Commit- ran the constituency office of former and immediately after the indepen- tee said that current plans to transfer SNP leader Alex Salmond for several dence referendum has eased off. more powers to the Scottish Govern- years. Paul Hutcheon, Investigations Editor ment failed to meet either “the spirit or The BBC, faced with a new political of The Sunday Herald, says: “Hostilities the substance” of last November’s landscape dominated by a Conserva- have ceased.” hastily drawn-up Smith Agreement. tive Government and an assertive SNP, This is, in part, because the general When David Cameron met SNP is pausing for reflection before pub- election proved to be so one-sided leader Nicola Sturgeon on 15 May, he

10 said he was open to “sensible sugges- partly in Glasgow, the biggest issue is tions” and a review about devolving [THE BIGGEST “how you do public service broadcast- further powers. After the meeting, she ISSUE IS] HOW ing in an increasingly federalist UK. announced: “What we are talking The system is not self-evidently geared about is business taxes, employment YOU DO PUBLIC to this.” legislation, the minimum wage and SERVICE Cosgrove, who stands down later this more powers over welfare.” year, takes the example of programme But broadcasting, always high on BROADCASTING titles. The “British” in The Great British Salmond’s agenda, seemed to have IN AN Bake Off and Britain’s Got Talent grates moved down the list of priorities. This with perhaps 30% of Scots. is despite the fact that the SNP mani- INCREASINGLY “British is not necessarily a word festo (silent on a separate Scottish FEDERALIST UK people here love,” he continues. “The Broadcasting Commission) said: “We’ll BBC’s prominent coverage of the Royal seek increased investment through BBC Family also runs up against a growing Scotland so that a fairer share of the in Scotland; the vast majority of our republican streak. licence fee is spent in Scotland, giving schedule is provided by ITV. But if we “Stories told through the myopic a £100m boost to our creative sector.” want to make changes, we have full eyes of the London media… will con- The manifesto also argued that the autonomy. So we have a very strong tie tinue to be a thorn in the side. For the Scottish Government and Parliament with ITV but, equally, we celebrate BBC in Scotland… it is not a healthy “should have a substantial role in all being Scottish. But I am not saying it is place to be. stages in the review of the BBC Char- the only model.” “The BBC should be worried. The ter… with responsibility for broadcasting He proposes that, as far as Scottish licence fee is quite significantly vul- in Scotland transferring from Westmin- broadcasting goes, “an awful lot is nerable over the next 10 years.” ster to the Scottish Parliament…. working and working well”. Cosgrove points to STV’s growing “We believe the licence fee should BBC news is a central issue. success as a producer – it makes Shet- be retained, with any replacement “The news is the big one,” says Peat. land for BBC One - but notes that “not system, which should be based pri- “The news at 6:00pm and 10:00pm one major world TV format comes marily on the ability to pay, in place should be told through a different lens, from Scotland”. by the end of the next BBC Charter.” of Scotland. The BBC in Scotland should Channel 4 is, however, creating five Peat says that the issue of the BBC aim to give Scottish viewers and listen- or six new Scottish posts in games and “will continue to niggle away” ahead ers all the benefits of being part of the app development.

Jeff Mitchell/Getty Images Jeff Mitchell/Getty of the Scottish parliamentary election BBC, under a more devolved system.” Woodward says that STV’s share of in 2016. He believes that everything He acknowledges that the BBC faces viewing for its daily news programmes, points towards the “devo max” model a big adjustment, and that Wales and including the mandated, ITN-supplied (that is, devolving maximum powers Northern Ireland are not so far down national news, at 6:30pm and 10:00pm, short of independence). So there will the path of devolution: “It has to be is 25% against ITV’s 19% nationally. have to be an accommodation by the special treatment for Scotland.” This, he claims, is because they are BBC and Westminster to embrace a McVay agrees that the BBC now has presented in a Scottish manner, broad- federal model. an opportunity to engage with the SNP casting to a nation, with Scottish McVay suggests that, under devo in the hope of landing a better Charter advertising representing 15% to 20% of max, reserve powers could be retained outcome. But, unless there is new cash, the commercial breaks. in the UK Government in London but, the demand for that extra £100m, if In 2014, STV had 21% of peak-time in practice, operational oversight and conceded, would have to come out of audiences, compared with ITV1’s scrutiny of BBC Scotland would be the BBC network budget. That would 20.7%, according to Barb. granted to the Scottish Parliament. have a ripple effect across the entire UK. STV is able to cross-promote its local Peat urges the BBC to do the brave For Stuart Cosgrove, Director of Cre- TV shows off the back of flagship shows thing and hold a swift inquiry to report ative Diversity at Channel 4 and based such as Coronation Street as “an integrated before the 2016 election: “The BBC part of what we do”, says Woodward. should set itself the task of looking Observers agree that STV has found a objectively, transparently, with two or “proper equilibrium” by adding bespoke three external members, at whether it THE BBC programmes, including the 10:30pm is producing a service that fits the bill SHOULD… LOOK Scotland Tonight, which is described as in the context of an increasingly OBJECTIVELY… popular without being frothy. devolved Scotland.” No one suggests that the BBC yet Rob Woodward, Chief Executive of AT WHETHER IT enjoys any such equilibrium. The SNP STV, suggests that, “arguably, the rela- IS PRODUCING is set to have a strong presence on the tionship we have with ITV is a tem- Culture, Media and Sport Committee. plate for the future [of BBC Scotland]”. A SERVICE The party wants to retain the licence STV argued to the Smith Commis- THAT FITS… AN fee, but it also wants a BBC Scotland sion that broadcasting should remain that is accountable to Holyrood. as a reserved power – in other words, INCREASINGLY Whatever the outcome, Peat warns still regulated by London-based Ofcom. DEVOLVED that it will be essential to protect the Woodward says: “We have sover- BBC’s independence from government eignty over our licence [from Ofcom] SCOTLAND – any government, wherever it is based.

Television www.rts.org.uk June 2015 11 Content Anne McElvoy turns the spotlight on Stephen Lambert, whose reality formats, such as Wife Swap and Gogglebox, have changed television

The format king

tephen Lambert looks a bit says Lambert, drily. The factory-like Scathing about critics who think that like Lenin – bald, with production belies the range of work that those natty formats are an easy way to steely blue eyes and a bit often takes him to Los Angeles, where make television, he says: “What people unyielding. He can claim he is Chair of All3Media America, call ‘populist rubbish’ is just about the to be the man who (All3Media owns Studio Lambert). As hardest thing to make. It’s a million revolutionised factual the Studio’s CEO, he has the final word times easier to make some obscure television, bringing us so many of the on the casting of global formats. documentary than to make something formatsS that dominate the schedules, Now he is heading a new push into really good and accessible that will hold from Wife Swap, The Secret Millionaire and drama in the British and American people’s attention over many episodes.” Undercover Boss to Faking It. market, having just hired the senior One of his best-known shows, Wife His most recent hit is Gogglebox, the BBC drama executive Sue Hogg to Swap, was originally dreamt up by his Channel 4 offering that united David spearhead the charge. wife, the journalist Jenni Russell. But it Cameron and Nick Clegg in admira- His biggest brands have different took “a lot of finessing – because peo- tion, when asked during the election lives in various countries. Four in a Bed, ple had to be very familiar with the campaign which shows they enjoyed. a show about bed and breakfast own- ground rules for it to work smoothly. I visit Lambert in his eyrie in Soho. ers swapping billets, while modestly You have to be absolutely clear what His company, Studio Lambert, occu- impactful on Channel 4 daytime, is the proposition is.” pies most of a sparely furnished set of “absolutely huge in France – it seems The resulting formats seem to be in offices. A – mainly – young workforce to connect very powerfully to the way the grip of the 21st-century equivalent are clamped in headphones or intently people see themselves”. of a medieval guild of trusted produc- bashing out scripts. The Secret Millionaire thrived best in ers and developers, selecting and shap- I ask what happens on all the other the US “because you had an amazingly ing which bits of “normal” life we see. floors. “The same: making programmes,” deep pool of people to fish from”. Ideas that thrive on the appearance

12 of us dropping into people’s lives are, makes, inter alia, Strictly Come Dancing) ended up apparently showing the mon- as he puts it, “the authored interpreta- or a BBC in-house drama or in-house arch flouncing out of the room in a huff. tion of life”, because they are edited, factual department. The BBC is bom- I ask Lambert what he learned from with judgements made throughout the barded with ideas from companies the incident. “Pay attention to every­ production process. who have proved over many years that thing and don’t send out bits of tape Ought we to be worried about the they can make great programmes. you didn’t mean to.” He adds, with a decline of the kind of documentary “It would be a much better service mixture of defensiveness and humour, that Lambert was able to make as a to the viewers for the BBC to focus on that “lots of trailers are wrong”. programme-maker at BBC Two’s Mod- commissioning the best of all that than A few years on, he had a miss with ern Times? AA Gill, The Sunday Times’s to be fussing about their provenance the Notting Hill-based docusoap Seven acerbic TV critic, believes that a vein of and quotas.” Days, but, he reflects, that helped the mockery underlies the format variety. So, does he warm to the idea of company to finesse Gogglebox. “There’s a very questionable notion BBC Studios, the brainchild of Director-­ A much-anticipated Million Second of the audience being left to entertain General Tony Hall, to allow BBC Quiz in the US, intended to lure viewers itself,’ he says. “Gogglebox is a parody of The Royle Family, but The Royle Family was brilliantly shot and written. “The sum total of us watching people WHAT PEOPLE CALL ‘POPULIST who are a bit odd, or clashes of class or RUBBISH’ IS JUST ABOUT THE culture isn’t really that enriching or empathetic.” HARDEST THING TO MAKE But Lambert can plead a documen- tary pedigree that precedes his lucra- tive formats. He made documentaries for several years until the mid-1990s, ending up as Editor of the award-­ winning Modern Times. And he was one of the high-flyers who left Auntie to set up an independent. A culture of “managing up” (key deci- sions being made higher and higher up the management chain) prompted him

All3Media to move on. “It infuriated me and I still think it is wrong that single commis- sioning editors are deciding so much of what goes on air. You end up reflecting the taste of a handful of people.” The BBC licence fee is, he thinks, “fine in principle, but I don’t think it Gogglebox

can last in its present form and the BBC Channel 4 will need to get its head around that”. He thinks that disaggregation and ­production to compete in a wider to play along in real time on phones competition are more powerful forces market place? Not very much. and tablets with the contestants, didn’t than the licence-fee defenders have “The purpose of it is very unclear to thrive on NBC. He admits that the been willing to concede. me,” he says. “Is it in the market like digital age holy grail of combining “It is ethically difficult, when there is anything else? And if it is selling to consumer technology with formats so much competition around, to com- other broadcasters, what are the criteria remains elusive. pel people to pay for the licence fee for to avoid it being just a state-aided inter- A friend notes that the format meister services they may not want to use,” he vention in the market, but with the is “a walking contradiction” – the muses. “That argument is getting licence fee giving the BBC an advan- “£20m man” who still “works as hard as harder to make. You come back to the tage? That doesn’t sound sustainable.” if he’s just set up his first company out element of compulsion, which sits Lambert’s CV may suggest a career of a cardboard box”. badly in a world where people want to of one success topping another, but He won’t confirm that the figure exercise choice. If the service is so there have been setbacks. He looks far represents his worth, but doesn’t deny wonderful, why not give people the from thrilled when I mention “Crown- it. A favourite pastime suggests that choice to pay for it?” gate”, a pratfall he experienced when he’s not doing badly: he sailed with His solution sounds like a lean, core he was head of RDF, his first inde- friends across the Atlantic to the Carib- BBC service of news and some current-­ pendent production company, in 2007. bean last year in his yacht. affairs output, with all other production The escapade resulted in him leaving “One is very lucky,” he says with a commissioned from the independent the company and Peter Fincham rare blush. “I wouldn’t want to stop sector (not surprisingly, perhaps, for an resigning from his controller’s job working and just sail around, though.” indie king). at BBC One. It’s still a bit mysterious, “I don’t understand,” he says, “why trying to work out how a trailer for Anne McElvoy is Public Policy and Educa- we need BBC Entertainment (which the documentary A Year with the Queen tion Editor at The Economist.

Television www.rts.org.uk June 2015 13 Head to head RTS Legends TV heavyweights Jeremy Paxman and Alastair Stewart lock horns, with conflicting takes on TV’s election coverage. Steve Clarke has a ringside seat

lastair Stewart may have Typically, Paxman eviscerated the self no longer having a regular TV slot hosted British television’s pollsters: they had led the entire chat- on which to decapitate politicians and first political leaders’ tering classes up the proverbial garden other public servants. debate in April 2010 but, path by predicting a hung parliament. It was clear from the beginning of more often than not, it Tory majority, no chance. Even The Sun the lunchtime encounter that the man was Jeremy Paxman who was convinced that by now Ed Miliband who inherited Robin Day’s mantle was had the last word at a rumbustious RTS would be in Downing Street leading a pitching for a punch-up. As Stewart LegendsA lunch in May. minority Labour government. took issue with Paxman’s pronounce- Steve Hewlett was the ringmaster at On the night of 7 May, Channel 4 ment that the election was dull, the this highly entertaining event, which viewers witnessed a heavily made-up journalist who’d started his BBC career sought to bring an insider’s perspective Paxman attempting to hold his own at Radio Brighton roared into action. to the recent general election. alongside comedian David Mitchell. Paxman: “Did you think it was For much of the time, the two TV At the RTS lunch, Paxman adopted ­boring or not?” anchor men agreed to disagree. Pax- his more familiar Newsnight persona – Stewart: “No, I didn’t think it was man was as cynical as Stewart was jaundiced, exasperated and withering. boring.” enthusiastic. Maybe he’d recently He was deft at batting aside any question Paxman: “You thought it was inter- attended a positive-thinking course. he thought didn’t deserve an answer. esting?” The dogged Hewlett tried to put the Frequently, the feared interlocutor Stewart: “I enjoyed it.” erstwhile Newsnight attack dog on the turned the tables on Hewlett and Paxman (voice rising to a crescendo spot and gain some new understand- began asking the questions himself. of incredulous pique): “What did you ing of what, according to Paxman, had Overall, it was a bravura perfor- think it was about?” been “a monumentally dull campaign”. mance. Paxman’s agent, who attended Stewart: “I think it was about… Stewart, meanwhile, said he’d the lunch, will have returned to her whether the British public wanted to enjoyed the election. He even found a office delighted. Brand Paxman stay with the Tory view of austerity good word to say about opinion polls. remains potent despite the man him- and keep more of their own money

14 YOU ARE AN IDIOT IF YOU BELIEVE OPINION POLLS… I AM TOTALLY AGAINST OPINION POLLS PAXMAN

Jeremy Paxman (left) and Alastair Stewart THERE WAS NO OTHER NARRATIVE IN TOWN [THAN OPINION POLLS], SO WE FELL FOUL OF WHAT TURNED OUT TO BE A WRONG NARRATIVE STEWART All pictures: Hampartsoumian Paul and make better decisions than the polls were not to be taken as oracles of rightly observed, it is still that age-old state. Ed [Milliband], rather eloquently, fact or trust…. truth of ‘the love that dare not speak its argued that there are things that can be “By the time the next election comes, name’,” he said. done better by the state – overstated, no doubt, we will not have strung them Occasionally, the pollsters did get it perhaps, but there was a clear-cut up by their feet from every lamp post right. Stewart highlighted a local poll choice…” in Whitehall, which we should do, commissioned by ITV News, in which Hewlett, sensing that Paxman needed [and] there will be more opinion polls. ComRes successfully forecast the Tory meat, turned to the vexed question “We should pay as much attention to rout of the Liberal Democrats in the of opinion polls and their disastrous them as we shouldn’t have paid to the west of England. “In that one report, performance during the campaign. ones this time. we predicted incredibly accurately Paxman’s reply didn’t disappoint. “I am totally against opinion polls.” what then unfolded,” he said. “One of the lessons of this election Stewart agreed that the pollsters Anyone expecting the two veterans to is that you are an idiot if you believe needed to hang their heads in shame: agree on the TV leaders’ debates was in opinion polls,” he thundered. “They are “The truth of the matter is that there for another clash of opinions. Hewlett not what we all fondly imagine – stout was no other narrative in town, so we asked if viewers had missed the 2010- ladies with clipboards accosting people fell foul of what turned out to be a style leaders’ debates in which Gordon in the street… wrong narrative…. Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg “There are far too many young men “The polls said exactly the same went head to head not once, not twice who rarely see daylight making adjust- thing in 1992. This time, they changed but three times live on network TV. ments to the findings. the database and the methodology and “I think the broadcasters behaved “It was clear from the start, and still managed to screw it up.” ludicrously about the debates. There is should have been clear to anyone with In mitigation, observed the ITV News no constitutional entitlement to two grey cells after the experience of man, there is a tendency for voters to debates,” Paxman barked. “I don’t want the Scottish referendum, when many feel guilty about voting Conservative. to undermine the effort that was put in polls said it was too close to call, that “As a number of commentators have by the broadcasters to getting them. �

Television www.rts.org.uk June 2015 15 The future for TV election coverage Jeremy Paxman: You can’t have a publicly funded broadcaster that doesn’t cover elections properly. So I’m afraid that they’ve pretty well got a blank cheque there. They certainly act as if they’ve got a blank cheque.

Steve Hewlett: Audiences [for the live election coverage] were down overall, but the BBC still did better than anyone else.

Alastair Stewart: If you aggregate the viewing of social-media sites such as BuzzFeed, all of that is still a pinprick compared with the number who watch mainstream terrestrial broadcasts.

Jeremy Paxman: Will ITV bother to cover the election in a meaningful way next time?

Alastair Stewart: My deeply held, passionate view is that ITV should. It is right and proper that we should. The BBC

deserves and requires strong competition. All pictures: Hampartsoumian Paul

� “They were trying to do what they ing all three debates, trying to detect “Ah,” groaned Paxman. “That’s a saw as a public service, but to suggest nuance between one or the other. I ridiculous question. One likes some… that somehow this is something that don’t think they do.” Some of them are wonderful, some of has to happen every election was just The nearest thing to a head-to-head them are…” preposterous and untrue.” encounter between the two party At which point Stewart began to say Did he believe in accountability, leaders, arguably, was Paxman’s excru- that, actually, he was rather fond of Hewlett pressed? “Of course. I want to ciating encounter with Miliband (“Peo- politicians. see people having their feet held to the ple see you as a north London geek…”), “You like them as a breed?” sneered fire during an election campaign so preceded by a similarly abrasive inter- Paxman. “That’s a very odd thing to that the voters can make up their rogation of Cameron. The interviews say.” minds.” were aired on 26 March by Channel 4. “I’m also more than happy to say Stewart sounded disappointed that Hewlett gamely asked Paxman how some of them are thieving, lying, con- Cameron and his minders failed to give he felt the programme had gone. “It descending shits… The majority of the green light for 2010-style leaders’ went OK. It was quite fun,” he replied politicians do the job to the best of debates this spring. tersely. their ability,” countered Stewart. “What you ended up with was a real It was time for The Media Show pre- “I like some… They’re just people, potpourri, some of which was not senter to attempt some psychoanalysis that’s all. It’s an absurd question,” great,” he suggested. “There were – well, sort of. growled Mr Grumpy. “It’s like saying, debates all over the bloody place. None Was Paxman familiar with Andrew ‘Do you like footballers?’” of them were echoes of another, so Marr’s take on him? In case he wasn’t, “No, I don’t,” deadpanned Stewart there was no basis for comparison…. Hewlett read it out: “He looks disdain- to audience laughter. “In their own right, possibly, they ful and contemptuous and furious Hewlett returned to probing Pax- were quite interesting, and quite good with his guests because he, by and man’s psyche. Had he missed the programmes, but there wasn’t a pattern, large, is. You can’t fake these things experience of working for the BBC on as there was in 2010, where you could on television.” election night? “No,” was his single- make some kind of comparison. I think The Rottweiler declined to grab the word reply. that was a loss.” bait. Hewlett was left with no choice Really, pressed Hewlett? “No.” Cue another Paxman explosion: than to come up with an old chestnut. The silence was deafening. Stewart “You think people sit at home watch- Did he like politicians? came to Hewlett’s rescue by explaining

16 From left: Steve Hewlett, Jeremy Paxman and Alastair Stewart

BROADCASTERS SOME BEHAVED POLITICIANS ARE LUDICROUSLY THIEVING, LYING, ABOUT THE CONDESCENDING DEBATES. SHITS… THE THERE IS NO MAJORITY DO CONSTITUTIONAL THE JOB TO THE ENTITLEMENT TO BEST OF THEIR DEBATES ABILITY PAXMAN STEWART

that it wasn’t only election night itself I thought we were. We seemed to talk that was of interest. to a lot of people and go to a lot of The polls’ prediction of political counts.” QUESTION deadlock led everyone into believing And, in any case, the early hours of that the morning after the night before election-night marathons are pretty could have been riveting viewing as much dead airtime for even the most & ANSWER the horse-trading between parties hardcore of political junkies, Paxman kicked in live on air. explained. Can the licence fee remain However, as things turned out, with “The problem with that night is that Qin its present form? Cameron claiming three scalps in less it is a great event and, of course, every- Jeremy Paxman: John Whit- time than it takes to write a manifesto, body pays attention to it,” he added. Atingdale may be terribly there was good material for the broad- “The first few results are pretty well good for the BBC, [but] I’m a casters, Stewart pointed out. meaningless in terms of whether they journalist, not a clairvoyant. “In a long period of covering this return a blue or red MP. The question you have to ask sort of stuff, the resignation speeches “Nothing much happens between yourself is whether you think of both Nick and Ed were remarkable the exit poll and getting on for 2:00am. the world will be a better place in their candour. It was great telly,” said We had comedy [on Channel 4], which without the BBC [applause]. the seasoned ITN presenter. I enjoyed very much.” Then, you have to ask yourself Undaunted, Hewlett returned to how At least the great inquisitor had found how you would fund it… Paxman felt working for Channel 4, something to like from the 2015 UK It clearly can’t last. As plat- rather than the BBC, on election night. general election. forms become interchangeable, Did he feel out of the swim? Ouch. a tax upon the ownership of a “No, did you?” replied the former The RTS Legends lunch ‘General election particular piece of technology Newsnight star. 2015: did television come to the aid of becomes very, very hard to “I’ve never been in the swim,” said the party? was held at the London Hilton justify. In fact, I would say Hewlett. “Well, not since I was a lot on 19 May. Jeremy Paxman and Alastair becomes impossible... younger.” Stewart OBE were interviewed by Steve I can’t see an alternative [to The banter over, Paxman continued: Hewlett. The producers were Paul Jackson the licence fee] at present. “Once there was a story moving, and Clive Jones.

Television www.rts.org.uk June 2015 17 Local-TV: here to stay

STV Glasgow believes it has a bright future

f you were to believe the Ofcom has licensed channels in a headlines, you might think Local-TV further 14 towns and cities, including that local television – dismis­ Aberdeen, Cambridge, Middlesbrough, sed by some as “Jeremy Hunt’s Reading, Swansea and York, which are pipe dream” – was dead in the Ignore the premature due to launch in the next two years. water. The former Culture epitaphs, argues Moreover, the Birmingham and Secretary’sI vision, scorned by most Manchester licences have been taken broadcasters, was bulldozed on to the Torin Douglas. over by other local-TV groups. statute book four years ago and the “We estimate that more than first channels are now 18 months old. Jeremy Hunt’s vision 300 new, full-time jobs have been Hunt thought it wrong that Birming­ for a new generation created in the local-TV sector in the ham, Alabama, had eight local-TV past year,” he said, “as well as many ­stations while Birmingham, UK, had of small TV stations freelance opportunities and produc­ none, and secured some funding and tion company commissions. the Channel 8 slot on Freeview (in refuses to be buried “Most channels also have a relation­ England, at least) to help the new ship with local broadcast journalism ­stations get established. ­original Jeremy Hunt plan, local-TV is courses, providing unprecedented But his plan quickly ran into diffi­ now a reality, it’s part of the media land­ levels of training and experience.” culties, as the headlines have accu­ scape,” says Nigel Dacre, former Editor The channels are owned by more rately testified: of ITV News. “It may change and evolve than a dozen different organisations, ◗ “Birmingham’s City TV is first of but, in my view, it’s not going away.” with widely differing business models. Hunt’s local-TV networks to go bust” As Director of Notts TV, and former They range from established media ◗ “London Live local-TV station to cut Chair of the Local-TV Network, he groups, epitomised by STV, the owner one-third of its staff” believes that local-TV has a healthy, of the Channel 3 company in Scotland, ◗ “YourTV Manchester is no more” if challenging, future. which has launched stations success­ ◗ “It’s very unlikely that all local-TV At a recent Westminster Media Forum fully in Glasgow and Edinburgh and ­stations will survive, admits Ofcom”. event, he spelt out some reasons to be won licences for Aberdeen, Ayr and No one would claim that local-TV cheerful. Seventeen local-TV channels Dundee, to much smaller community-­ is in rude health, but reports of its have been launched so far, in towns based channels in places such as Bel­ death – like Mark Twain’s – have and cities such as Brighton, Cardiff, fast and Sheffield. been exaggerated. Edinburgh, Glasgow, Grimsby, London, Several newspaper groups are “Whatever you think about the Liverpool, Newcastle and Nottingham. involved, including Archant, which

18 runs Mustard TV in Norwich, the Kent The stations also benefit from a deal Messenger Group in Maidstone and the with the BBC, negotiated as part of the WE ESTIMATE Evening Standard in London (owned by 2010 licence-fee settlement. Under THAT MORE Evgeny Lebedev). The problems of the this, the corporation buys some of Standard’s station, London Live, have – their raw news footage to use in its THAN 300 NEW, perhaps inevitably – dominated news own local-TV bulletins. FULL-TIME JOBS and comment about the sector, to the Each licensee is guaranteed an frustration of channels that have made income of £150,000 in its first year, for HAVE BEEN better progress outside the capital. providing 85 stories a month, whether CREATED IN Launched in a blaze of publicity in or not the footage is used. March 2014 – not least in its sister “The public purpose of the scheme THE LOCAL-TV paper – London Live has since cut is to incentivise the stations to provide SECTOR IN THE back severely on staff and programme local news coverage,” says Chris commissions. It has obtained Ofcom’s ­Carnegy, BBC Editor, Local-TV, who PAST YEAR permission to reduce its local program­ co-ordinates the scheme. “They’re using ming obligations. our money to provide two or three But Tim Kirkman, the station’s Chief stories a day for their local audiences, so Operating Officer, says things are look­ it’s pump-priming their news rooms.” ing up, after “a dreadful start” a year Bill Smith of Brighton’s Latest TV ago. Then, London Live had an audi­ told the Westminster event: “We’ve ence share of just 0.16% (compared with been working with the BBC very a business-­plan target of 0.7%). He ­successfully and done a lot of co-­ brandishes charts and figures to sup­ productions with their Tunbridge Wells port his case. team. It’s worked really well, but it’s “Last week was our best ever, with a going to end in a year and a half’s time. 0.5% share of all adult viewers,” he tells I think that’s a massive mistake.” me, as he shows me round the studios Jeff Henry, Chief Executive of Arch­ and newsroom shared with the Stand- ant and a former CEO of ITV Con­ ard and The Independent. “On Wednes­ sumer and Granada Sky Broadcasting, day, we had a 1.1% share with our crime was less enthusiastic: “My understand­ night and we’ve now got consistent ing is that the DCMS suggested that growth in audience and revenue. £15m of licence fee money be spent “In the first half of May, we averaged with local-TV and the BBC has man­ a 0.42% share of viewing in London, an aged to eke out just over £1.8m so far. increase of 147 per cent, year on year. “In Mustard TV, we genuinely believe “When we were showing Miss World we have a great local-TV channel but for three hours, we had a higher share financially it is challenged – or, rather, than Channel 4 or Channel 5. And we the model is challenged.” have a bigger reach in London than The BBC says the local stations have Sky Sports, Sky Atlantic and Gold.” been slower to launch than expected, Kirkman has restructured the busi­ but it still expects to spend about two- ness, shedding 20 staff and original thirds of the money. commissions such as Food Junkies. It is actively discussing other ways He says the initial plans were simply it can use this budget, beyond news unsustainable on its low audience footage. But any continuation of the share but, after cutting costs, this year’s scheme, as proposed by Smith, would losses will be half last year’s. Kirkman depend on the next licence-fee settle­ says he is on course to move into a ment. monthly profit by September 2016. Smith was one of the pioneers of It’s not just in London where there local television, long before Jeremy are signs of progress. Hunt got the bee in his bonnet. “The four Made TV channels, in Bris­ “I wrote to Margaret Thatcher in 1983, tol, Cardiff, Leeds and Newcastle, are – asking for a TV station in Brighton and WHEN WE WERE according to their own research – it took a while after that to get it,” he [achieving] an average reach of 13% says. “Our station got 200,000 viewers SHOWING MISS across each of their stations,” says Dacre. last month, but you probably didn’t WORLD FOR “Local magazine-style programmes are know that. The only print you see about getting a particularly good response, local-TV comes from London, and they THREE HOURS, WE such as The Mustard Show in Norwich, The don’t really want us to succeed.” HAD A HIGHER 6:30 Show in Nottingham, The Riverside That’s one of the companies’ main Show in Glasgow, and Talking Sheffield. challenges: not just to win local audi­ SHARE THAN “Night after night, these programmes ences and advertising, but to persuade CHANNEL 4 are interviewing local people in a local sceptical London media types that studio about local stories and events.” local-TV has a future. OR CHANNEL 5

Television www.rts.org.uk June 2015 19 OUR FRIEND IN THE WEST

With a new or the past 12 months, by viewers across the UK and its com- the message from government in ponent nations is therefore the Westminster regarding responsibility of the UK government. BBC Charter review London, the future In the case of S4C, set up in 1982 has been that nothing of Welsh-language after prolonged campaigning and would happen before political debate, a commitment to the election. Now, of service S4C is again Welsh-language broadcasting was course, it’s as if a starting pistol has under scrutiny, says made from the heart of the UK gov- Fbeen fired. ernment. This remains in force, most This is particularly so with sections Huw Jones recently in the form of the Public of the press going into a frenzy of Bodies Act 2011, which requires the anticipation, based on certain previ- Secretary of State to ensure “sufficient ous statements by the new Secretary funding” for S4C to carry out its duties. of State for Culture, Media and Sport, There is also a widespread under- John Whittingdale. standing of the need for more than In Wales, the interviews I’ve been one voice in public service broadcast- asked to do as Chair of S4C have all ing, particularly where, as in Wales, been about what it might mean for the the commercial provision of news future of the Welsh-language channel. and entertainment is weak. In 2010, then-Secretary of State It is the Secretary of State who will Jeremy Hunt announced a substantial need to take a view as to the needs of cut in S4C’s funding. It agreed with the a Welsh-language television service. BBC that most of that funding, from He will have to do so at the same 2013, would come from the licence fee, time as he considers the demands to rather than from Whitehall. be placed on the licence fee and on Much public debate followed in public spending. Wales as to whether this would result The S4C question may throw some in the loss of S4C’s independence. light on the nature of the essential Ultimately, an agreement was duties that should be undertaken by

reached between the BBC Trust and S4C the BBC Trust or its successor body. the S4C Authority that guaranteed Assuming a further agreement is S4C’s operational and editorial inde- work together on a range of projects, reached for S4C to continue to receive pendence while ensuring that the including plans to co-locate some S4C its funding primarily from the licence Trust retained ultimate accountability functions in BBC Wales’s new Cardiff fee, such an agreement needs to be for use of the licence fee. HQ, co-producing the second series of with an arm’s length body, not with The agreement runs to March 2017, Y Gwyll/Hinterland and making S4C the executive, to avoid any perception albeit with payments to S4C falling by programmes available on iPlayer. of a takeover. 1% each year in the final two years. But with the very existence of the And, in a world where the BBC’s Some 8% of S4C’s funding con­tinues BBC Trust being debated, and a clear relations with partners and other to be provided by DCMS, although this desire by the BBC to draw lines in the sections of the industry have often is subject to future Spending Reviews. sand regarding erosion of the licence been questioned in terms of domi- The agreement between the S4C fee, what happens now? nance, one suggestion is that the Authority and the BBC Trust has Broadcasting is one of those areas of Trust/“Ofbeeb” should adjudicate on worked well. The Trustee for Wales sits government that has not been the fairness of all such relationships. on the S4C Authority as a full member. devolved. Responsibility for securing, The debate will surely continue. Through a Joint Partnership Board, across various platforms, the full range the executives of S4C and BBC Wales of public service broadcasting needed Huw Jones is Chair of the S4C Authority.

20 June 2015 www.rts.org.uk Television Half an hour to create a hit Paul Hampartsoumian Paul

reating a hit show is It’s all about having the idea – and TV’s holy grail. It is, RTS Futures everyone will take a good idea,” she however, rare to get said. an insight into the Discussing the genesis of First Dates, exacting and time- Matthew Bell reports which debuted on Channel 4 in 2013, consuming process from an RTS Futures De Moraes recalled: “We were brain- ofC nurturing an idea and turning it storming dating shows for another into a successful series. event that offered tips channel – not Channel 4 – when a At the latest RTS Futures event, top producer said to me, ‘Isn’t it odd how TV creative Ana de Moraes explained on how to turn ideas you never get to see a real date’. the art of brainstorming, programme into great TV “What you do see are couples jet development and pitching, focusing skiing or camel riding, which they on one of the big successes of her “Cross-genre TV is a big trend at never do in real life – it’s contrived career – Channel 4’s First Dates. the moment,” De Moraes told the and constructed [for TV]. I started to De Moraes left her native Brazil in Futures audience. “First Dates is a think about how we could capture an 2000, joining first Endemol and then really good example of cross-genre actual date.” Twenty Twenty Television, where she TV – I don’t think of it as a dating A rig with fixed cameras, set up in a helped to create BBC One’s RTS show: it’s a show about dating.” restaurant, thought De Moraes, could award-winning period legal drama De Moraes argued that shows such provide the realism that dating shows Garrow’s Law, Sky Living fashion show as The Great British Bake Off at the BBC lack. The original channel, Sky Living, Styled to Rock – and First Dates. and Gogglebox at Channel 4 have turned the idea down but Channel 4’s In 2014, she became Creative taken their inspiration from more then-Deputy Head of Factual, Nick Director of Development Central, the than one genre, including documen- Mirsky, was more receptive. in-house unit created by BBC Director taries, specialist factual and factual He even suggested adding an ele- of Television Danny Cohen to develop entertainment. ment of interactivity to the show non-scripted shows across genres at “It doesn’t matter where the idea (then known as Date Night) so that the corporation. comes from or where you’re pitching it. viewers could apply to date the �

Television www.rts.org.uk June 2015 21 While developing a show, adds Gurus share tips Williams, ‘be malleable. Don’t get too hung up on your idea – accept other on development people’s input.’ Development teams should have a There are three stages to getting a new good mix of people and specialisms programme on TV: coming up with an to avoid a ‘sameyness’ creeping into original idea, developing it and pitching ideas. Ideally, says De Moraes, a team it successfully. should be composed of ‘ideators’ Easy? Definitely not. Not one of the (the people who have lots of ideas), execs whom Television spoke to was developers, implementers and clarifiers willing to put a figure on their success (those who ask the difficult questions). rate, possibly because it would be ‘If you only have ideators – it’s such discouragingly low. Nevertheless, new a ridiculous American word – and shows emerge. If everyone is too they become a competitive and returnable format thinks their idea and are sold around is better than the world, they can anybody else’s, become cash cows you’re not going to for the production get anywhere. You company. need people who To help generate can take an idea ideas, BBC Devel- and work on it to opment Central’s make it better,’ Lucy Bacon says: she says. ‘Consume as much ‘It’s important popular culture as to have people possible and watch who think in TV – the stuff you different ways wouldn’t usually and from different watch.’ And, she backgrounds,’ De adds, don’t ignore Moraes adds. Ana de Moraes online content on At the BBC’s platforms such as Development YouTube and Vine. Central, her team is made up of Bacon, � people on the programme whose Brainstorming is a useful technique. whose background is in factual enter- dates had failed. ‘Talk about the things that you really tainment; three producers, two from “We all felt that a bad date would be care about or bug you,’ advises Bacon, documentaries and one from specialist fun because it would offer car-crash who is Ana de Moraes’s deputy at the factual; an assistant producer with TV moments.” But De Moraes worried BBC’s in-house development unit. a past in shiny-floor entertainment about “whether it would be so inter- Her credits include Channel 5’s Eddie shows; and four trainees. De Moraes esting to see people getting on”. Stobart: Trucks & Trailers. started as a trainee at Endemol. She To resolve this question, Twenty ‘Be scientific. Lots of people think answered an ad that asked applicants Twenty made a mini-pilot of the show ideas come out of thin air – they don’t,’ to come up with three ideas for shows. for Channel 4, which was shown to the says Wall To Wall Head of Entertainment ‘Don’t be too formal when pitching – RTS Futures audience. “It proved that Development Poppy Delbridge. ‘Know try to make it compelling. Anything that the show is just as enjoyable, if not the shows out there and research them makes them remember you and want more so, with couples who have a thoroughly.’ to see more helps,’ says Bacon. spark,” she said. Delbridge recently worked on Chan- When she successfully pitched In fact, the interactive element of First nel 4’s upcoming entertainment series, ­daytime cookery show Britain’s Best Dates did not survive the first series. Time Crashers, in which celebrities Bakery to ITV she ‘took in a lot of “It was expensive and hard work ‘crash’ through time and live as ordinary cakes’ for the execs at the meeting. getting people cleared, ensuring they people in different eras of history. And never give up, says Bacon: ‘Don’t weren’t psychopaths and then bringing ‘You can use an existing show as a be afraid to get it wrong. You can learn them down to London for their date,” jumping-off point. Take a show and pull from every idea that is rejected and, said De Moraes. it apart to the Nth degree, then add or one day, you’ll get it right.’ Ideas can be Channel 4 was very supportive in take away parts and see what works,’ rejigged, recycled and pitched again. giving the show time to establish itself. says Tom Williams, Development ‘Remember, there are other channels “The first series did OK but it wasn’t Producer at indie Remedy. Williams to take your idea to,’ says Delbridge. In amazing. We were given a second specialises in quizzes and was part of fact, notes Bacon: ‘Some of the best series and, again, it did all right, but it the team that developed Channel 4’s ideas have done the rounds before didn’t double its numbers like Goggle- The Million Pound Drop. finding their ideal broadcaster.’ box, which the channel had been hop- ing. The third series, though, has done

22 Hybrid lover is pitch perfect

At the event ‘First dates: falling in love with ideas’, seven teams of RTS Futures members, each assisted by a development executive from a leading indie or broadcaster, devel- oped an idea in 30 minutes. The idea had to combine key features of two or three different series. ‘It’s a good technique to play around with the component parts of successful shows,’ explained the chair and producer of the event, Ross McCarthy. The teams then had just a minute to pitch their best idea to the room. A team mentored by Voltage Head of Development Helen Docherty brainstormed and devel- oped the winning format, Under- cover Lovers, a hybrid of three series – Big Brother, Playing It Straight and Wife Swap. ‘Imagine a house with five girls and five boys, all claiming to be single. However, two of them are, in

All pictures: Hampartsoumian Paul fact, a couple,’ began the winning pitch. ‘They are given tasks such as a lot better,” she said. “All credit to C4 Turning to one of her other suc- cooking, DIY and finding directions ­– it gives shows a chance to grow.” cesses, the best part of a decade earlier on a map. Will the real couple be Good casting, as much as the original De Moraes had helped to launch the able to keep their cool? idea, is critically important to the suc- TV career of Gareth Malone in BBC ‘At the end [of the show], the cess of reality shows such as First Dates. Two’s The Choir, in which he started a house will vote on who they think “The key thing for us was to avoid peo- school choir and brought it rapidly up the real couple is. If nobody man- ple who just wanted to be on TV – you to competition standard. ages to identify them, they win need people who really are looking for She had sold the idea to BBC factual a cash prize, but if a housemate love,” argued De Moraes. “If they’re commissioners Ben Gale and Richard spots who the couple is, the cash not, the show’s not going to work. Klein before she even found Malone. is split between the housemates.’ “You have to operate a strict filter At the time, he was working for the Undercover Lovers was praised by and you certainly can’t just go for the London Symphony Orchestra’s com- Ana de Moraes as ‘the most original good-looking ones. You need to find munity choirs. and distinctive’ idea for a new show. people who have layers to them – real Talent, De Moraes argued, is now Discussing the other pitches, the people who have more to them than more important than ever before. “If BBC executive added: ‘They were meets the eye.” we were pitching that [show] today, we good ideas but a lot of them were Viewers, she continued, have to root would never pitch it without the talent similar to existing shows.’ for the couples on screen. “Even when attached,” she said. “Talent has become they are over the top or do something expected. Ten years ago, you could Thanks to the following devel- unpleasant, they have to be likeable – pitch the idea with just a piece of opment executives for their help otherwise the show doesn’t work,” paper. People were more open to that. in mentoring the teams: Helen added De Moraes. “But now the bar is higher and peo- Docherty, Voltage; Iestyn Barker The First Dates format has been sold ple expect to see talent from the start.” and Tom Williams, Remedy; Joe around the world; the Netherlands, Evans, Tiger Aspect; Joe Varley, Australia and Canada have acquired the The RTS Futures event ‘First dates: falling Zeppotron; Lucy Bacon, BBC; programme. NBC has bought the rights in love with ideas’ was held at the Hallam Martha Housden, Twenty Twenty; for the US and is shooting its first series Conference Centre in central London on Neale Simpson, Fizz/RDF; and this summer in Chicago, with Ellen 11 May. It was produced and chaired by Poppy Delbridge, Wall to Wall. DeGeneres executive producing. Ross McCarthy.

Television www.rts.org.uk June 2015 23 The winners in 16 categories were announced UNDERGRADUATE AWARDS at a ceremony, hosted by comedian Romesh Undergraduate Animation Ranganathan, on 5 June at the BFI Southbank Shoot Rory Conway, Sammy Khalid, David Slattery and Kieran Noone, Ballyfermot College of Further Education “An ambitious and professional film with great comic timing. Every stage RTS Student of production is of a high standard.” Nominees: ◗ Domestic Appliances, Lewis Firth Bolton, Edinburgh College of Art ◗ Fractured, Jocie Juritz, Kingston Television University­ Undergraduate Comedy & Entertainment Awards 2014 Little Harry Jackson, Alfred Johnson and Team, Arts University Bournemouth “Thoroughly charming, a very well written script, funny, surprising and beautifully performed.” Nominees: ◗ Bun Oven, Genia Krassnig, Christian Cerami, Matt Tume and Team, University of Westminster ◗ Marital Kombat, Ally Lockhart and Awards Chair: Team, City of Glasgow College Stuart Murphy Undergraduate Drama Skunky Dog James Fitzgerald, Paddy Slattery and Team, National Film School, Institute Skunky Dog: of Art, Design and Technology, Dún Winner of both Laoghaire Undergraduate Drama and “An ambitious, professional, deeply felt Undergraduate piece of storytelling… a poetic, absorb- Craft Skills ing, uneasy and truthful film.” Camerawork Nominees: ◗ Archie, Sophie Piggott, Staffordshire University ◗ Sunday Dinner with the Morgans, Alex Forbes, Jack Pollington and Allan Host: Romesh Armstrong, University for the Creative Ranganathan

All pictures: Richard Kendal Arts, Farnham

The awards celebrate the best in work produced during the 2013/2014 Undergraduate Factual student television. Undergraduate and academic year. Thick Skin Postgraduate awards are both judged Undergraduate entries were first Despina Christodoulou and Robert in five categories: Animation, Comedy judged at a regional level by their local ­Dalton, University of Leeds & Entertainment, Drama, Factual and, RTS Centre in the winter of 2014. “Beautifully shot [and] cleverly and new for this year, Open – for films that TThe winning films from each RTS evocatively structured, this really left are a maximum of three minutes in Centre, along with all postgraduate you wanting to know more.” length and on any subject matter. entries, were then judged nationally Nominees: Undergraduate and Postgraduate in April 2015 ahead of the awards ◗ Porters, James Dougan, Max Cutting Awards are also presented for the presentation during the ceremony and Daniel Ridgeon, University of South craft skills of Camerawork, Editing and on Friday 5 June. Wales Sound. The awards are chaired by Stuart ◗ The Invisible School, Hugo Pettitt and The RTS Student Television Murphy, Director, Sky Entertainment Hannah Bush Bailey, University of the Awards 2014 reward outstanding Channels. West of England

24 Undergraduate Open LA Larry Lauren Clark, University of Central Lancashire “A wonderfully realised, well-executed submission with… pacy syncing of images and music.” Nominees: ◗ Nan, Luke Taylor, Bath Spa University ◗ Vice Versa – Creation, Natasha Haw­ thornthwaite, Rhodri Carter and Daniel Ridgeon, University of South Wales Porters: Little: Undergraduate Undergraduate Craft Skills Comedy & UNDERGRADUATE CRAFT SKILLS Editing Entertainment Camerawork Skunky Dog James Fitzgerald, Paddy Slattery and Team, National Film School, Institute LA Larry: of Art, Design and Technology, Dún Under­ Laoghaire graduate Open “There were clever choices when it Archie: came to composition and framing…. Under­ The hill scenes were breathtaking.” graduate Craft Nominees: Skills ◗ Shoot, Rory Conway, Sammy Khalid, Sound David Slattery and Kieran Noone, Bally­ fermot College of Further Education ◗ Sunday Dinner with the Morgans, Alex Forbes, Jack Pollington and Allan Armstrong, University for the Creative Arts, Farnham Editing Porters James Dougan, Max Cutting and Daniel Ridgeon, University of South Wales “An ambitious, concise and well-­ structured programme [that high­ lighted] the vital craft of editing.” Nominees: ◗ Skunky Dog, James Fitzgerald, Paddy Thick Skin: Slattery and Team, National Film School, Undergraduate Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Factual Dún Laoghaire ◗ Sunday Dinner with the Morgans, Alex Forbes, Jack Pollington and Allan Armstrong, University for the Creative Arts, Farnham Sound Archie Sophie Piggott, Staffordshire University “Displayed film-quality sound design, [and] a real flair for imaginative processing and mixing.” Nominees: ◗ Skunky Dog, James Fitzgerald, Paddy Slattery and Team, National Film School, Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dún Laoghaire ◗ Thick Skin, Despina Christodoulou and

Robert Dalton, University of Leeds � All pictures: Richard Kendal

Television www.rts.org.uk June 2015 25 POSTGRADUATE AWARDS The Bigger Picture: Postgraduate Postgraduate Animation Animation The Bigger Picture Daisy Jacobs, Jennifer Majka, Christopher Hees and Team, National Film and Tele­ vision School “The authenticity of the storytelling is matched by the originality of the technique. An accomplished film.” Side by Side: Postgraduate Nominees: Factual ◗ Meanwhile, Stephen McNally, Royal College of Art ◗ Pineapple Calamari, Katarzyna Nalewajka, Daniel Negret and Team, National Film and Television School Postgraduate Comedy & Entertainment Secret Studio James Spokoini, Sipho Sondiyazi and Team, National Film and Television School Shoot: “A show within a show that felt truly Undergraduate Animation original. A clever concept matched with high production values.” Nominees: ◗ Nightdare, Serafeim Ntousias, Karin Camarinha and Team, National Film and Television School ◗ School on Report, Lee Otway, York St John University Postgraduate Drama How I Didn’t Become a Piano Player Tommaso Pitta, Christopher Hees and Team, National Film and Television School “This film united the jury. Funny and engaging with a high-end cast and beautifully paced. Confident direction, as a story should be.” Nominees: ◗ Jam Man, John Evans and Lester Hughes, Bangor University ◗ North, Philip Sheerin, Jacob Thomas and Team, National Film and Television School Postgraduate Factual Side by Side Jack Warrender and Team, National Film and Television School “A compelling narrative, impressively directed and beautifully observed.” Nominees: ◗ A Wee Night In, Stuart Edwards, Noe Mendelle and Emma Davie, Edin­ Sing Your burgh College of Art, Screen Academy Heart Out: Postgraduate Scotland Craft Skills Side by Side: Postgraduate ◗ Sing Your Heart Out, Peter Akar Sound Craft Skills Editing and Team, National Film and Television School

26 Postgraduate Open Once She Was Just Like You Dan Neeson and Team, National Film and Television School “Clearly a labour of love for a devoted film-maker…. A shocking and elegant piece of film art that deserves as wide an audience as possible.” Nominees: ◗ First Time, Ryan Vernava and Team, National Film and Television School ◗ Nereid, Charlotte Boyle, University of Salford

Top row, from left: POSTGRADUATE CRAFT SKILLS How I Didn’t Become a Piano Player, Camerawork Postgraduate Drama; A Wee Night In Secret Studio, Stuart Edwards, Noe Mendelle and Postgraduate Comedy Emma Davie, Edinburgh College of Art, & Entertainment; Screen Academy Scotland Sky film crew “The film used the camera with great interviewing guests wit and confidence… to capture the during lunch beauty of an intimate world.” Nominees: ◗ North, Philip Sheerin, Jacob Thomas and Team, National Film and Television School ◗ The Bigger Picture, Daisy Jacobs, Jennifer Majka, Christopher Hees and Team, National Film and Television School Editing Side by Side Jack Warrender and Team, National Film and Television School “[Terrific] storytelling, elegance and confidence with the subject matter [and] an emotional sensitivity to the story.” Nominees: ◗ How I Didn’t Become a Piano Play- er, Tommaso Pitta, Christopher Hees and Team, National Film and Television School ◗ North, Philip Sheerin, Jacob Thomas and Team, National Film and Television School Sound Sing Your Heart Out Peter Akar and Team, National Film and Television School “Displaying great knowledge and technique [and] capturing extraordi- nary moments in audio.” Nominees: ◗ Nightdare, Serafeim Ntousias, Karin Camarinha and Team, National Film and Television School ◗ Side by Side, Jack Warrender and Team, Once She Was Just Like You: Postgraduate Open National Film and Television School All pictures: Richard Kendal

Television www.rts.org.uk June 2015 27 FROM THE DIGITAL EDITOR

The RTS’s latest online features look at making fixed-rig documentaries, remaking history and making TV open to all, reports Tim Dickens RTS

Nothing gets our digital team David Brindley more excited than a good awards bash. So it was with delight that we tweeted and live-blogged our way through the RTS Student Television Awards from BFI South- bank on 5 June. If you missed us live, you can look back at the blog, pictures and videos on the RTS website now. I’ve just been into Google HQ to chat to the experts at YouTube – one of our International Patrons – to get some tips on creating a winning video channel for the Society. Our video guru, Bex Stewart, has already taken some of the points on board to create some cracking content that’s pulled in

several thousand clicks. ITV There is a buzz at HQ around the new RTS Digital Hub, which Tips in 60 seconds... How “a clever reminder that Elizabeth will debut later this summer. To Succeed in Fixed Rig wasn’t always the young virgin queen”. We’re completely redesigning Fixed rig is an increasingly popular ◗ j.mp/DanSnow the RTS website to make it more way of storytelling in television. As appealing and easier to use, plus Channel 4’s Commissioning Editor for adding new sections including an Documentaries, David Brindley, points education and training hub. out in his one-minute slot, fixed-rig Creative Skillset calls for fairer At a time when Creative Skillset shows are an excellent way of break- access to TV industry is saying that more needs to be ing into factual and documentary New figures from Creative Skillset last done to help new entrants gain a programming. month show that more still needs to be foothold in TV, the learning zone This Tips was even picked up by the done to have a wider range of people will feature plenty of video tips. amusing @TheTVController, who working in the TV industry. We take a There will be advice from those tweeted it for the attention of the close look at the data. Nearly half of all who have already made it, plus BBC’s incoming Head of Commis- respondents to Skillset’s survey said a list of work placements and sioning for Documentaries, Patrick that they had had to do unpaid work courses for career entrants. The Holland. Watch this space! experience to further their TV careers. zone will also promote the RTS’s ◗ j.mp/fixedrigtips ◗ j.mp/fairerTV undergraduate bursaries scheme. I’ve been talking to each of our patrons ahead of the new site going live. A patron section will be Spanish Armada: Dan Snow talks Watch: new RTS promo video dedicated to each of our support- about 12 days that saved England Produced by RTS Bristol member John ers. There’s lots to look forward to. Complementing her fascinating arti- Durrant, our spanking new promo for cle in this magazine, Pippa Shawley the Society focuses on the best of Tim Dickens is RTS Digital Editor. talks to Dan Snow about his latest what we do across the UK. With clips ◗ Do you have a news or feature BBC show, Armada: 12 Days To Save from our awards, events and videos idea for the RTS website? Let Tim ­England, for RTS online. – and an upbeat soundtrack from an know on 020 7822 2836 or Snow described the casting of RTS Award-winning musician – we [email protected]. ­ex-EastEnders star Anita Dobson as think you’ll love it. Queen Elizabeth I as “awesome” and ◗ j.mp/RTSvid

28 June 2015 www.rts.org.uk Television RTS NEWS Wales gets an editing Success shocks director olf Hall director masterclass Peter Kosminsky admitted to n Paul Hawke-Williams has being totally an infectious enthusiasm for Wsurprised at the success of post-production. He told an the BBC Two drama, which audience of students, sound/ drew audiences of up to video editors and RTS mem- 4.5 million earlier this year. bers at his company’s train- “It broke box-office records ing suite in Cardiff Bay: “It’s and had the best set of so easy to edit these days reviews of anything I have – non-linear editing is like ever done. I don’t think any of word processing.” us anticipated what was going Hawke-Williams heads to happen,” he told a Southern Digital Media Training. Har- Centre event at Bournemouth nessing more than 10 years’ University in April. Wolf Hall: Mark Rylance as the scheming Thomas Cromwell

experience as a video editor Kosminsky gave his reac- BBC and trainer, he ably demon- tion to a reported comment strated the latest software by Mark Rylance, who played Commenting on the cur- value craft and production packages at the Wales Centre Thomas Cromwell in the rent state of TV drama, Kos- skills in equal measure with event, “Post-production in adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s minsky said: “Tax breaks academic performance. the palm of your hand”, at novels Wolf Hall and Bring Up have been transformative for Would Kosminsky return the end of April. the Bodies, that the director the industry; there’s a blos- to Cromwell? He was enthu- Apple’s reworking of its was a good observer of soming, the like of which I siastic but said that it would Final Cut software has been actors at work. have never seen. But we depend on Mantel, who is controversial, but Hawke-­ “My job is to create the don’t have the crew, so it still writing the third novel in Williams believes that Pro X right atmosphere to allow means that the pressure is on her trilogy on the life of “represents a radical move the actors that I cast to do places like Bournemouth to Henry VIII’s adviser. away from conventional their best work,” said Kos- train people to come and “We’ve spoken to her film-based paradigms. It minsky. “People are not work in the industry.” about it and the book is took a lot of getting used to, tuning in to see the shots He stressed that it was going well but it’s not going but I love it now. It’s only a – they are tuning in to see important for such courses to be a short one,” he said. matter of time before Adobe the performance.” to stay industry-focused, and Gordon Cooper and Avid follow suit.” Paul Owen, Operations Director at Gorilla, argued that company he formed more Avid is king for effective Yorkshire loses than 30 years ago, Chameleon work­flows and content shar- indie stalwart TV, became a watchword for ing in a busy post-production quality and innovation. environment. Gorilla provides n One of Yorkshire Centre’s One of his proudest boasts editing and sound-dubbing strongest supporters, Allen was that Chameleon never services from the new Glo­ Jewhurst, died in May after made a single programme that Works creative industries fighting a typically defiant it wasn’t passionate about. centre in Cardiff Bay. battle with cancer. I was delighted that Allen “The whole production He was an inspiration to received the Yorkshire Centre Allen Jewhurst

team can work on the same hundreds of people in the Photography Harness Paul Award last year, recognising material, with greater effi- industry. Many of them owe his outstanding contribution to ciency and saving huge their current positions to 1970s, where he worked on In the TV industry. The response amounts of time,” said Owen. his support, guidance and Loving Memory. in the room spoke volumes. Hawke-Williams suggested, enthusiasm. Allen was, in every sense, The region, the industry however, that “although you Allen worked at Shepperton a creative visionary and one and the world is poorer for can fix things in post, it’s still Studios as an editor, then at of the first people in the his passing, but his legacy will better to shoot things prop- BBC News, before moving UK to see the potential of always live on. erly in the first place”. to Yorkshire Television in the independent production. The Mike Best Hywel Wiliam and Tim Hartley

Television www.rts.org.uk June 2015 29 RTS NEWS

yours”, but there was also a widely held view that 4K was Thames Valley replays being foisted upon consum- ers by set manufacturers. He argued that the real focus should not be on 4K Las Vegas highlights but on HDR (high dynamic range), which improves col- s the flashing neon more content, quicker, any- Chris Brandrick, from ours and contrast, because lights of Las Vegas where and any time. wireless camera hire com- that was what would “bring faded for another Keith Nicholas, from BBC pany Broadcast RF, agreed: about more dramatic changes year, Thames Valley Studios and Post Production, “Consumers have a huge in picture quality”. Maycock CentreA assembled a crack argued that the market appetite for unique content, acknowledged, however, that panel to review the annual dynamic had changed: “The and technology advances in this was a much harder sell to NAB broadcast convention. consumer now drives the cameras and wireless tech- consumers. What was the buzz? Did we industry, not the content nology are now enabling the Nicholas added that the learn anything new? owner or the broadcaster.” creation and distribution of difficult and time-consuming The event, held at Pincents But rather than a cause for those images to our screens.” aspect of handling 4K images Manor, Reading, in mid-May, anxiety, the panellists saw this At the other end of the was in post-production and was chaired by journalist as an opportunity. “It’s simply image scale, Ultra-HDTV in effects rendering. Dick Hobbs, who warned the a different model,” said Robin its 4K guise was still the big “It’s about broadcasters panellists to avoid repeated Adams, from broadcast equip- topic. Yet Neil Maycock, from and content owners having mentions of “the Cloud”. ment manufacturer EVS. “The broadcasting technology an agile, IT-based infrastruc- Other buzzwords of the huge diversity of acquisition outfits Quantel and Snell, ture to cope with whatever evening included 4K, second sources – from drones to played down the hype. Yes, the future content world screen, drones and IP. phones – means that there consumer TV-buying deci- brings,” said Maycock – There was consensus that is a boatload of content to sions were all about “mine’s whether that content comes “content” was driving inno- manage, store, distribute bigger than yours” and from phones or drones. vation. Consumers want and monetise.” “mine’s got more pixels than Rob Ettridge

n BBC Research & Develop- pause a drama episode to get ment hosted an evening ses- a plot summary. More trials sion for RTS London in April BBC demonstrates are likely. to demonstrate its latest kit, Mobile broadcasting was from the use of the 4K stand- also trialled in Glasgow, with ard of Ultra-HDTV to live new hi-tech gear BBC R&D exploring ways to reception on mobile devices. stream live TV to mobile Some of the technology was devices by providing seam- first trialled at the Glasgow less switching between 4G Commonwealth Games. broadcast and wi-fi. Venue Explorer makes use TV white spaces – the gaps of 4K production technology between primary broadcast- to offer viewers an interac- ers in the TV part of the radio tive experience on their spectrum – will be made tablet, giving them a choice available by Ofcom this year over which events to watch. and the BBC is looking at First tested in Glasgow, a opportunities to provide locked-off 4K camera was enhanced services, especially used to give a wide view of for low-power devices. the athletics stadium where BBC R&D is also exploring Venue Explorer brings the action closer to viewers multiple events were run- BBC 360° TV. Wearing a virtual-­ ning concurrently. Viewers reality headset, viewers are could pan across that field and arts in particular – and graphics at the client end placed at the centre of the of view and click for a closer more trials are expected. allows viewers to personalise action, a feeling that is look at a particular event, Graphical overlays, which their viewing experience by boosted by the use of BBC-­ with the audio feed matched were developed by BBC R&D choosing which overlays they developed, object-based to the video. for an augmented video see, giving different viewers audio, which matches sounds Other production genres player, were also part of the different levels of content. to the right source in the have been looking at this Venue Explorer trial. For example, they can choose viewer’s field of vision. technology – natural history Live rendering of overlay subtitles for specific actors or Nick Radlo

30 Improv adds realism to cop show

hannel 5 is BBC Radio 4’s The Archers, renowned neither Sean O’Connor. “We have for its homegrown no rehearsals and only two drama nor for takes, and we’ve been doing attractingC critical praise, but it like that for 65 years. [Sus- Suspects gives it both. The cop pects] is very new but it’s also show has notched up three quite old as well,” he said. series since its TV debut in “The biggest benefit of the February 2014 and, at the end ‘no rehearsal, get on with it’ of April, it was the subject of [method] is that it sounds an RTS London event at alive and real. There’s a veri- ITV’s London Studios. similitude about it – you “It’s a very straightforward have cops; I have farmers,” police procedural,” explained O’Connor added. “Don’t do co-creator and Executive rehearsals, don’t do it more Producer Paul Marquess, the than twice – you’re on to a founder of FremantleMedia really good format, which subsidiary Newman Street feels new, fresh and exciting.” Productions, which makes Director Craig Pickles, who Suspects: Fay Ripley stars in the Channel 5 drama

the series. But there’s a twist: Channel 5 has worked on all three the cast improvise, working series, explained that the from a storyline, but no script. right buttons and shot it There are no rehearsals – actors can take their improv- The idea for Suspects was properly you’d end up with a “The actors prep their char- isation as far as they want, triggered by Marquess’s time really good show. I thought: acters but we don’t want but that the arc of the story at The Bill and The Only Way is ‘What if we did this with them to rehearse. It has to has to be followed. Essex. On ITV’s cop drama, he actors?’” feel raw and have an edge to He told the London Centre worked with a number of In 2012, daytime ITV show it,” explained Marquess – and audience: “Directing this is top-quality writers – but not Crime Stories provided the dry scenes are shot in, at most, about letting the actors run enough, he felt, to make the run for Suspects. Shot cheaply three takes and often just one. free, so long as they get the 100 or so hours of TV a year and in a documentary style, As a result, it takes two and a investigation into it.” that the schedules demanded. the programme attracted up half days to shoot one com- “It is a very honest piece of “We’d often end up with to 1 million viewers and the mercial-hour episode television,” concluded Mar- an A-list cast, really good attention of Channel 5 Direc- (46 minutes)– four times quess. “It’s not arch and it’s stories that we’d worked out tor of Programmes Ben Frow. quicker than a drama made not trying to be too clever. It over a period of months, a Suspects has three main in a more traditional way. was designed to appeal to a very well-directed [show] and characters: DI Martha Bellamy The RTS London event Channel 5 audience.” a B-list script,” he recalled. (Fay Ripley from much-loved was chaired by the Editor of Matthew Bell The final episode aired in ITV comedy-drama Cold Feet), 2010. “It seemed like a trag- DS Jack Weston (Damien edy to me. The Bill, twice a Molony, who played Hal the week, was telling very good vampire in BBC Three’s Being RoI feasts on Apple lesson cop stories for a mass audi- Human) and DC Charlie Steele ence,” said Marquess. (Clare-Hope Ashitey in her n Republic of Ireland Centre frequently, using either Around the same time, first leading TV role). hosted an informative ses- iTunes or iCloud. He also other long-running dramas, A retired police inspector sion on using the iPhone and explained how to use the such as Heartbeat and The was hired to prepare the iPad by Noel Hayes from the increasingly popular iCloud Royal, were also being pulled. actors. “We taught them how Compu b Apple reseller store storage system. “There was a real feeling that to restrain, handcuff and do a in Grafton Street, Dublin. Responding to a question the days of mid-budget police interview, and how to ‘An Apple a day’ at RTÉ, from the audience, Hayes drama were gone in the UK,” move around the police Dublin, in May revealed that offered tips on extending he added. station like they owned the many media people are not the battery life of devices. On TOWIE, Marquess found place, which was important,” using their devices to their Using wi-fi, turning on auto- himself having to construct said Producer Kara Manley. full capacity. brightness, fetching data less storylines for the show’s “We needed to immerse Hayes addressed the frequently and turning off characters: “We would be on them in the police world and necessity of backing up notifications from apps would set with these non-actors to give them the confidence valuable data, advising the all prolong usage, he said. and, once you’d got them in to take control of scenes.” audience to back up Charles Byrne the right place, pressed the The team works quickly.

Television www.rts.org.uk June 2015 31 RTS NEWS Memories of a world at war our years in the mak- ing and, at the time, the UK’s most expen- sive series, The World Fat War remains TV’s greatest documentary. Knitted together by Lau- rence Olivier’s narration and a Carl Davis score, the pro- gramme movingly tells the story of the Second World War using eyewitness accounts and interviews with important figures, including Albert Speer and Lord Mountbatten. Memories of making the Thames Television docu- mentary, together with clips from the 26-part series first broadcast on ITV in 1973, featured strongly at the Jane Mercer Memorial Lecture, “Moving Images”, which was Birmingham City Council given by Raye Farr. Evacuation of Birmingham schoolchildren and (inset) Raye Farr She worked as a researcher on The World at War and went on to become Director of the forged making the series. maker and RTS Fellow Steven Spielberg Film and “Comradeship is what we Norma Percy “has half a Video Archive at the US Hol- felt and feel. The number of dozen series to her credit that ocaust Memorial Museum. people here from The World at are absolutely brilliant – The annual lecture, which War is a clear tribute to how they’re just as good and just was held in mid-May in close we were,” she said. as important as the block- London, is organised jointly One such luminary in the busters”. Percy’s award-­ by archive body Focal Inter- audience was Isaacs, who winning series include The national and RTS London. was asked whether he Death of Yugoslavia. The US-born Farr was thought that such a huge Remaining in the UK, Farr The Struggles for Poland, (1987), living in the UK in the late undertaking as The World at worked on two Thames for which she produced an 1960s when she made her TV War could be made now. series, Destination America, episode on Jewish life. bow on All Our Yesterdays, a “It would be hugely diffi- telling the story of mass Smith was instrumental in long-running Granada series cult to envisage a series at emigration to the US, and setting up the US Holocaust that showed clips from war- that length today,” he replied. Hollywood. She recalled “the Memorial Museum in Wash- time cinema newsreels “But it’s not beyond the sheer delight of working ington DC, from which Farr 25 years ago that week. ingenuity of a great broad- with David Gill and Kevin retired in October 2013. The show’s presenter, Irish caster to do a follow-up. Brownlow [on Hollywood]”, “The World at War and the journalist Brian Inglis, and “It’s important that adding that the 13-part series British documentary film his Granada colleague Bill film-makers should make on the silent-film era tradition are a critical part of Grundy recommended Farr the films about wars or fam- remains “the only non-war, the success of this museum,” to Jeremy Isaacs, the Pro- ines or clashes in society that non-totalitarian, non-tragic said Farr. “Martin, with ducer of The World at War. they want to make. series of my career”. [exhibition designer] Ralph Farr told the large audi- “It doesn’t matter if it’s only Working on Hollywood took Appelbaum, really conceived ence that she served her one film, or three or six; the Farr back to the US, where the exhibition.” apprenticeship in archival important thing is that they she has remained. She linked Smith was in the audience film on the series: “As a should be good films. They up again with producer Mar- and made a forceful point researcher, I had the freedom should tell necessary truths tin Smith, whom she had about film-makers’ responsi- to explore and discover – honestly and compellingly.” first worked with on The bilities. “It is a disgrace that this was my film school.” Isaacs added that Farr’s World at War, for Vietnam: A we make so many films with Enduring friendships were friend, the US-born film- Television History (1983) and so much archive material yet

32 Glasgow Girls’ big day there is no way for people to Big Debate (Mentorn Scotland find out where that material for BBC One Scotland). The comes from. C4 show was praised for its “Anybody who makes a “network ambitions and documentary film today and stellar cast”, while Scotland doesn’t put their shot list up, Decides “pioneered new ways and list every archive so of engaging with young first- people can cross-check it, is time voters”, said the judges. failing in their duty – this is In the news and current the only way we can be affairs categories, STV News’ accurate,” he said. Political Editor Bernard Pon- Farr read out an apposite sonby was named Television quote from the writer Susan Glasgow Girls: (from left) Agnesa Murselaj, Journalist of the Year. The Roza Salih, Colin Barr, Brian Welsh and Kate Cook

Sontag: “We live under con- Ilisa Dymkiewicz and Patrycjusz Stack News Programme award stant threat of two equally went to Reporting Scotland (BBC fearful but seemingly he BBC and Chan- latter “offers the viewer a Scotland News and Current opposed destinies: unremit- nel 4 dominated the window into a very intimate Affairs for BBC One Scotland), ting banality and inconceiva- RTS Scotland Awards, world; it is elegant and mov- while the Current Affairs prize ble terror. It is fantasy, served which were held at ing storytelling”. went to Cybercrimes with Ben out in large rations by the theT Òran Mór, Glasgow, in Holiday of My Lifetime with Hammersley: Darknets (Tern TV popular arts, that allows most late May, winning all the Len Goodman (Raise the Roof for BBC World News). people to cope with these major programme categories. Productions for BBC One) The RTS Scotland Award twin spectres.” The Drama award went to picked up the Daytime award was made to STV Deputy The words, said Farr, Minnow Films for Glasgow and It Was Alright in the 1970s Director of Channels Elizabeth “spoke to me about the end- Girls (BBC One Scotland/BBC (Objective Scotland for C4) Partyka to acknowledge her less success of war films and Three) while Keys to the Castle the award for Factual Enter- outstanding contribution to documentaries, and about (Darren Hercher Films for tainment and Features. Scottish television. how some of us are able to BBC Two Scotland) won the The Referendum Pro- Most recently, Partyka work with horrific historical Documentary and Specialist gramme prize was won oversaw the launch of STV’s images over many years, even Factual award. The judging jointly by Scotland in a Day local-TV channels, STV Glas- dedicating large portions of panel, which was chaired by (The Comedy Unit for C4) gow and STV Edinburgh. our professional lives to dis- April Chamberlain, said the and Scotland Decides: The Big, Matthew Bell covering, studying, identify- ing and preserving them. “Many of us here share a passion and commitment to understanding their context North East celebrates youth and particularity, and insist- ing that they should be used n The Young People’s Media Rebecca Anderson, David to tell only the history that Festival, organised by RTS Buckley, Thomas Buckley, they reveal.” North East & the Border in Dylan Bulmer, Aaron Page, It is a privilege, she added, May, attracted 30 entries Morgan Smith and Tilly Wool- “to discover pieces of new involving more than 150 ley from Usworth Colliery reality through the lenses of young people at schools and Primary School, Sunderland, those who did the reporting. colleges across the region. won the junior prize, with Don’t we have a responsibil- The Senior Drama category Mike and the Mysterious Monster. ity to examine and use them was awarded to Bench, a film Rachel Teate, star of with exceptional care and from Hartlepool Sixth Form CBBC’s Wolfblood, and BBC intelligence? College students Matthew producer and presenter Chris Matthew Appleyard

“We owe it to the [Holo- Appleyard, Hollie Boynton-­ 2tone Photography Jackson were the hosts at the caust] survivors to be truthful Briggs, Tom Curtis and Doug University of Sunderland’s and careful, to tell that story Macaskill. Jonnie Knights, Caitlin Gill, David Puttnam Media Centre. with enormous respect. In my Superdog, an individual Simon Ramshaw and Paige “The standard was high career, the two groups of peo- entry from Jacob Crow, Lamb of Newcastle-based and the judges of both junior ple that have meant the most snapped the Entertainment Northern Stars won the sen- and senior events had a diffi- to me are Holocaust survivors category. MUM from William ior award for entries that cult task,” said Festival Direc- and my dear colleagues.” Howard School student Ellie received support from indus- tor Tony Edwards. Matthew Bell Gray won the Factual award. try professionals with I am Sam. Matthew Bell

Television www.rts.org.uk June 2015 33 OFF M E SSAGE

y now, we all know Episode 2 of the story of two early-­ It is based on her series of lengthy that TV Rottweiler 19th-century magicians managed articles published in The Guardian last Jeremy Paxman can only a shade over 2.5 million viewers, year analysing the corporation’s past, do tender as well as a 13% share. present and future. tough. Thinking his This is hardly ratings magic. If this is too much of a big read, mike was switched Nick Robinson’s Election Notebook: The off, Channel 4 and ■ Talking of Poldark, ITV’s buying Inside Story of the Battle Over Britain’s Sky News audiences in March heard a binge of production companies con- Future and My Personal Battle To Report It concernedB Paxman ask Ed Miliband if tinues apace. might make a better poolside choice. he was OK live on air. Kevin Lygo, Managing Director of Incidentally, it’s good to have the He’d roughed up the luckless ITV Studios, pulled out of a proposed BBC’s Robinson back on TV and Labour leader by pressing him hard deal at the end of May with the TV online. Robinson’s gift for getting to on his relationship with his brother, arm of Harvey Weinstein’s empire. the heart of a story and writing so David, and on Miliband’s perceived Days later, ITV announced it had incisively is a huge asset to the BBC. reputation “as a north London geek”. purchased Mammoth Screen, whose At last month’s RTS Legends lunch, hits include Poldark. ■ “It’s like panning for gold,” was Steve Hewlett discovered that this The company was set up by ex-ITV the recent verdict from BBC England level of courtesy from Paxman was people. The broadcaster first bought Director Peter Salmon on trying to more or less normal. in to Mammoth back in 2007, as a secure a new hit comedy. As the applause faded away at the minority shareholder. As well as Congratulations, then, to BBC One’s end of the sold-out event, Paxo Poldark, Mammoth’s credits include Peter Kay’s Car Share, the highest-rated couldn’t resist a final one-liner at Parade’s End and Endeavour. new sitcom to premiere on any Brit- the expense of his interviewer. Coincidentally, Mammoth is also ish channel since 2011. “Are you OK, Steve?” enquired the producing Book of the Dead, a 10-part Despite the risks involved in nurtur- solicitous ex-Newsnight man. detective drama set in ancient Egypt, ing new comedy (Car Share debuted To which there really was no answer. for… The Weinstein Company. on iPlayer as a box set before moving to BBC One) the summer schedules ■ Commissioners need no remind- ■ As TV types begin to turn their are not lacking in laughs. ing of Game of Thrones’s epic success. attention to the summer’s distractions This month saw Ian McKellen and With this in mind, ITV is expecting of the beach or barbeque, what should Derek Jacobi return in the second big things of its expensive reimagining they take with them on their holidays series of the high-camp, retro ITV of Beowulf, which is due on screen to read? sitcom Vicious. early next year. Peter Bazalgette reminds us in his On the same night, Channel 4 Alas, not all TV fantasy fiction hits TV Diary (page 5) that teletubbies like showed the first episode of season 2 the spot with audiences. nothing better than talking about the of Man Down: surreal, scatological and BBC One’s ambitious, special- BBC. For BBC junkies, Charlotte Hig- just plain silly. effects-­laden, Sunday-night drama gins’s book, This New Noise: the The two shows inhabit different Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell has failed Extraordinary Birth and Troubled Life of comic universes. Let’s hope each one to repeat the success of the slot’s the BBC, published this month, looks finds an audience, linear, digital or, previous incumbent, Poldark. to be about as definitive as it gets. more likely, a mix of both.

34 June 2015 www.rts.org.uk Television RTS PATRONS

RTS Principal BBC BSkyB Channel 4 ITV Patrons

RTS Discovery Corporate Services Ltd Turner Broadcasting System Inc International Liberty Global Viacom International Media Patrons NBCUniversal International Networks The Walt Disney Company YouTube

RTS Accenture FremantleMedia KPMG Virgin Media Major Channel 5 Fujitsu McKinsey and Co YouView Patrons Deloitte IBM S4C Enders Analysis IMG Studios STV Group EY ITN UKTV

RTS Autocue ITV London ITV Yorkshire Quantel Patrons Digital Television Group ITV Meridian ITV Wales Raidió Teilifís Éireann ITV Anglia ITV Tyne Tees Lumina Search UTV Television ITV Granada ITV West PricewaterhouseCoopers Vinten Broadcast

Who’s who Patron Chair of RTS Trustees CENTRES COUNCIL History at the RTS HRH The Prince of Wales John Hardie Lynn Barlow Don McLean Mike Best President Honorary Secretary Charles Byrne IBC Conference Liaison Sir Peter Bazalgette David Lowen Isabel Clarke Terry Marsh Alex Connock Vice-Presidents Honorary Treasurer Gordon Cooper RTS Legends Dawn Airey Mike Green Tim Hartley Paul Jackson Sir David Attenborough OM Kingsley Marshall CH CVO CBE FRS BOARD OF TRUSTEES Kristin Mason AWARDS COMMITTEE Baroness Floella Tim Davie Graeme Thompson CHAIRS Benjamin OBE Mike Green Penny Westlake Awards & Fellowship Dame Colette Bowe OBE John Hardie James Wilson Policy John Cresswell Huw Jones Michael Wilson David Lowen Mike Darcey Jane Lighting Greg Dyke Graham McWilliam SPECIALIST GROUP Craft & Design Awards Lorraine Heggessey David Lowen CHAIRS Cheryl Taylor Ashley Highfield Simon Pitts Archives Rt Hon Dame Tessa Graeme Thompson Steve Bryant Television Journalism Jowell MP Awards David Lynn EXECUTIVE Diversity Stewart Purvis CBE Sir Trevor McDonald OBE Chief Executive Marcus Ryder Ken MacQuarrie Theresa Wise Programme Awards Trevor Phillips OBE Early Evening Events Alex Mahon Stewart Purvis CBE Dan Brooke John Smith Student Television Sir Howard Stringer Education Awards Mark Thompson Graeme Thompson Stuart Murphy

RTS Futures Camilla Lewis

Television www.rts.org.uk June 2015 35 HAPPY VALLEY OR HOUSE OF CARDS Television in 2020 the challenges for content, creativity and business models

16-18 September

RTS CAMBRIDGE CONVENTION

Chair: Tony Hall, Director-General, BBC David Abraham, CEO, Channel 4 Philippe Dauman, President and CEO, Viacom Tim Davie, CEO, BBC Worldwide and Director, Global Lorraine Heggessey Jay Hunt, Chief Creative Officer, Channel 4 Michael Lombardo, President of Programming, HBO James Purnell, Director, Strategy and Digital, BBC Josh Sapan, President and CEO, AMC Networks Sir Howard Stringer Sharon White, Chief Executive, Ofcom The Rt Hon John Whittingdale OBE MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport David Zaslav, President and CEO, Discovery Communications

Early-bird discount until 30 June Principal sponsor Registration: www.rts.org.uk